Finding Santana
by YourGleek
Summary: When the strain of Santana Lopez's home life starts to wear on her, her six year old twin sisters take the liberty of calling on an unlikely source for help - Rachel Berry. None of them could have predicted the relationship that would result. Pezberry
1. Breakfast With The Twins

**AN: Hey, welcome to my second Pezberry story! This is going to be a multi-chaptered fic focusing on Santana and my interpretation of what her home life could be like, since we've yet to see that side of her in the Glee series. Santana is my favorite character because she's one of the most complex, there is no possible way someone can be nothing but a cold hearted bitch all the time, especially when usually she is all sweet smiles with Brittany and Quinn. So, this will definitely be showing her soft side, but never fear the attitude won't e lacking! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did there would be an entire episode dedicated to Brittana, Melissa Etheridge, and sweet lady kisses.**

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Chapter 1 – Breakfast With The Twins

It was an unfortunately typical Saturday morning in the Lopez household as Santana stood in the spacious kitchen of her home, pealing and separating sections of oranges. She could not even remember the last time she had actually slept in on a weekend, but she was guessing that it was somewhere around five years ago. Before her loving, supportive, and amazingly strong mother had lost her life in a car accident one snowy night in December. Now, there was just not enough time for Santana to think of herself outside of school and Cheerio's practice, not with two six year old twin sisters and a worn out, alcoholic doctor for a father, who spent his time outside of the hospital passed out drunk on the couch.

"_Santí!"_

The peaceful stillness of the morning was interrupted in just the way Santana had expected it to happen, with the older by three minutes of her two little sisters running down the hardwood stairs screaming her name like a banshee.

"_Noelia, shh! _Papí is asleep in the living room!" Santana hissed back, bringing her finger to her lips as the young girl skidded into the kitchen and ran towards the counter. She was already excitedly clamoring into one of the tall, bar style stools before the sentence was even complete.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you not to run down those stairs. Apparently cracking your head open last summer wasn't enough," the older girl muttered under her breath. It was sort of hard to conceal the fact that your little sister had cut her scalp open during a round of hide and seek when your father worked at the only local hospital, but Santana tried not to let herself feel guilty for too very long, she supposed it was just part of being a kid after all. She tried to tell herself that no matter how fiercely she wanted to protect them that sometimes things were just going to happen and she hated that.

"San, why didn't you make pancakes!" Noelia half scolded, half asked, while resting her chin in her small hands and her elbows on the countertop.

"I made you pancakes just yesterday, you can have cereal this morning. Now, elbows off the table," Santana stated with finality as she reached for bowls from a cupboard, she did not have to be looking to know what was going on. But as she brought the dishes down she noticed that something – or more appropriately – someone was missing. "Where's your sister?"

"I'm right here…" came a small, still groggy sounding voice from behind her. Turning around, Santana found her much quieter and timid little sister, Isabel, rubbing her eyes tiredly and dragging her blanket. Her dark hair was in all sorts of disarray and the older girl could not help but kneel down in front of her and smooth it away from her adorable face.

"Look at your hair, it's a mess," she laughed, as she ran her fingers through it. "I still love you though. Did you sleep well, mi bebé?"

"Yes…" Isabel answered lightly, wrapping her arms around her older sister's neck and laying her head on her chest. Santana gave each of the girls equal attention in different ways, but Isabel sometimes needed that extra hug or words of encouragement, while Noelia was normally content with forging her own path. Isabel was the soft spoken one who always had questions about the mother she had never truly gotten to know, while Noelia was the boisterous one who seemed to be unconcerned with anything that might cause her sadness or upset.

"You didn't hug me this morning!" Noelia shouted, making Santana lift her face from her little sister's hair to stick her tongue out at her.

"Well, you didn't!" the young girl insisted.

After pressing a kiss to Isabel's forehead, Santana stood up and moved toward Noelia with a mischievous expression. "Chica, that's because you came down here yelling at me about pancakes."

Noelia started giggling as her older sister approached, she could already tell where this would lead by the sly stance Santana was taking. And before she could do anything to protect herself, Santana had caught her in a kiss and tickle attack, peppering her face and neck with quick pecks as she tickled her ribs, making both the young girls laugh hysterically.

_"Santana!"_

All of their fun came to a sudden halt when their father's voice echoed in their ears from the living room.

"Shit!" the brunette swore.

"Ooh…" the twins said in unison, followed by a "San said a bad word!" from Noelia.

"Alright, quiet now," Santana said, her tone allowing no argument. "Eat your breakfast." She could only hope that as she exited to the other room that she would not come back to Captain Crunch and milk spilled all over the kitchen from letting the girls pour it themselves.

"Sorry, papí…"

"What the hell are you doing out there, Santana?" her father, Dr. Andres Lopez, asked with condescension in his gravelly, just-woken tone. Even though he had asked, he did not seem truly interested in the answer, only in blocking the early morning sun from his eyes. "Close the curtains…"

As she walked towards the large bay window of their living room and obediently drew the heavy curtains closed, she answered, "We were just having brea –"

"Well, can't you have breakfast quietly?" he interrupted, lifting his hand from his eyes and using it to gesture his annoyance. "I'm obviously trying to sleep."

"Yeah, dad…" She hoped that using the English version of the word would convey her disappointment in his using her full name. It was not a great feat to come up with the shortening of 'San' from 'Santana,' but when she was younger he had been the one that she first remembered calling her that. Not anymore though, she was grown up and her father was not the same man he used to be; it was all business now, but that did not make it hurt any less.

"Oh," Andres began again, just as she was going to return to the kitchen. "Take your sisters to the mall today and figure out what they want for Christmas. I told them I would take them to see Santa, but I might have to head back to the hospital in a few hours…they'll have more fun with you anyway."

_Hospital, my ass, _Santana thought to herself with sadness. Sadness for herself at having lost her once playful and doting father and sadness for her little sisters who in addition to never knowing their mother, would never know the great father he had been. _The only place you're going to be in the next few hours is that couch, or maybe the fridge to crack open a beer._

"Sure…"

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**Things will be a little angsty between the girls and their father throughout the story, but on a lighter note, Rachel makes her debut in the next chapter. I already have a few chapters written for this, so I just need to know if you would like to see more. Thanks for reading!**


	2. A Very Berry Mall Experience

**AN: Omigosh, I was pretty amazed by the response to this story with such a short first chapter! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and put this story on alert! In this next chapter Rachel is introduced to the story and it just gives you more of a feel of Santana's life outside of school. As a reviewer pointed out, San isn't going to be as slutty as they make her seem on the show (even though she really doesn't seem that slutty to me anyway!). Anyway, on with the story and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Glee, blah blah blah...**

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Chapter 2 – A Very Berry Mall Experience

A cloud of amused giggles and chattering seemed to follow the twins wherever they went and it was not as if Santana minded, in fact she really loved it most of the time. It was one of the few things in her life that reminded her that her heart was not completely iced over no matter how hard she tried to act like it was. But sometimes she wished the two six year olds could learn to be a little quieter. Especially when they were in the middle of the mall and they saw it fit to start harassing her.

"San, you know who you look like!" Noelia gushed excitedly, tugging roughly on her hand to get her attention.

"I don't know, who?" Santana questioned absent mindedly. She was too busy surveying and trying to calculate approximately how long it would take to reach the phony Santa Claus at the end of the enormously long line of people they were standing behind.

"You look like Santa!" the young girl screamed back, yanking her arm even harder and causing Isabel to start doing the same with the other. "Your Cheerios jacket is red and it has white on it too! You're Santa!"

Then, it was Isabel's turn to join in with the next clever observation. "And your name is even like Santa! Santana without 'na' is Santa!"

"Santa! Santa! Santa! Santa!"

Rolling her eyes and trying to keep her arms in their sockets, Santana droned, "Ha-ha, you two are _soo_ funny! Now, you could stop at any time."

"Santa! Santa! Sant –"

"Oh my God, you two, enough!" she finally snapped, attempting to pull her hands away from the crazed kids. But it was a pointless effort, as soon as she had shook them off they started running laps around her, chanting her newly coined nickname even louder.

"I see your having some difficulties, Santa," someone suddenly laughed behind Santana just as she had captured Isabel by the hood of her jacket. She could recognize that bouncy, peppy, _smart ass_ voice from anywhere – Rachel Berry.

As she spun around with Isabel in tow, Santana did not even have to try to put on her bitch mask, it just automatically slipped into place on its own. "Oh, look who it is," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. "It's one of Santa's elves. Should have known I'd find you here."

"San, that's mean!" Noelia shouted, and then directed a surprisingly strong punch to her kidney.

"Ow, Noelia! What the heck!"

In her disgust over Rachel's presence she had almost forgotten the two little girls she had just been practically wrestling with, but of course they would not let her forget for very long. And apparently they were not going to let her forget her manners with Rachel.

"Say sorry!" Noelia demanded.

"Yeah, say it!" Isabel then echoed.

Santana brought her gaze to Rachel's and met her ever warm smile with a haughty glare and a lilt of her head, preparing for the apology she was only going to give because of her sisters. But when she hesitated for what Noelia must have deemed too long, she received another swift punch.

"Say it!"

"Sorry, Berry…" Santana winced, bending her arm behind her to rub her abused back. A part of her could not believe she had just given an apology to Rachel Berry, but a bigger part of her knew that she would do anything for her baby sisters.

"It's quite alright, Santana," Rachel chirped happily, "I was just noticing that you seemed to be having troubles in your babysitting endeavors. May I ask who these cute little girls are?"

"Cute?" Santana muttered sarcastically as she continued to massage her back. She could joke, but they were obviously the cutest kids in the world to her. "These two _heathens_ are my six year old twin sisters. This is Isabel and this is Noelia. Girls, meet Rachel Berry, my loud classmate."

"I'm the oldest!" Noelia informed, before looking Rachel up and down curiously. "You are sort of short like an elf…you could be Santana's elf!"

Santana could not think of a time when she had been more embarrassed by one of her sisters and Rachel began to blush at the comment, unsure of what to say. "Oh, well…I…"

"She's not an elf!" Isabel reprimanded, taking the attention away from her hyperactive sister. She did not do it often and it was usually only for something she truly felt needed to be said, so Santana had to wonder what was about to happen. "I think she's pretty! Don't you think she's pretty, San?"

She had not seen that one coming. Rachel was blushing furiously now, and Santana was trying desperately to control the heat in her own cheeks. She knew the honest answer, it was something she had always wanted to admit, but how was she supposed to appease her sisters, herself, and not ruin her reputation at the same time?

"Rachel is…" she began, only to falter when she looked into the deep brown eyes before her. "Rachel is –"

"Santana likes girls, you know! Not just like friends, like for kissing! She's a lesbium!" Noelia cut in with a broad smirk on her face and her older sister could not hold back the hot flush taking over her entire body any longer. She had been saved from answering the question with the worst interruption possible and now nearby parents waiting in line were looking at her like she had grown another head.

"I think I might have already known that…" Rachel admitted with a sympathetic smile, and she hesitantly reached out and smoothed her hand comfortingly over the taller brunette's upper arm. She was surprised when the gesture was not shrugged away, but instead answered with a sheepish grin.

"Well, now that you know everything about me…" Santana trailed off, her voice holding a hint of playfulness that was normally never there when Rachel was near her. Her usual mood around her classmate had been lightened considerably by her sisters' company and she found that it took much less effort to be nice.

"Don't worry about it," Rachel insisted, being anything but her usual verbose self. "Well, I should be getting back to gift shopping with my dads. I just thought that maybe a distraction would help them calm down a little."

They both looked over to Noelia and Isabel, finding them whispering and laughing to each other about something unknown. "Looks like you were right," the tall Latina acknowledged. "Thanks, I suppose."

"You're welcome. See you at rehearsals for Sectionals tomorrow?"

Santana visibly brightened at the mention of their rehearsals for Sectionals, even though it was being held on a Sunday afternoon she was secretly looking forward to spending her time in the choir room. Mr. Schuester had offered her an amazing solo, which she had accepted with subdued emotions. She did not want all her classmates to know just how happy she was to be given such an opportunity; she was supposed to be a badass, but Rachel could tell she was excited anyway.

"Yeah, I might be there," she shrugged, trying to distract herself from beaming with pride over her solo by crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Rachel said, smiling enough for the both of them. "Bye, girls!" she called out to the twins with a wave, before walking away and getting lost in the crowd of holiday shoppers.

Once she was gone, Santana grabbed both of her sisters by the hoods of their matching forest green coats and gave them each a jerk to get their attention. When they turned their heads in unison to look at her feigned expression of anger they both smirked.

"You two better say sorry for teasing me or I'm telling the real Santa not to bring anything to our house for Christmas," Santana stated firmly.

For the rest of their wait, Noelia and Isabel were glued to her sides, enveloping her waist with their arms and repeatedly murmuring 'We're sorry,' 'I love you, Santí,' and 'We'll be good, we promise!'

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After the girls' trip to the mall the twins were wiped out. Santana spent most of the twenty minute drive home in silence, wondering what she would make her sisters for dinner. The twins slept in the backseat, each of their heads rested against the door they were sitting beside.

"Noelia, wake up…we're home," Santana whispered to the little girl who was already grimacing in protest and turning her face away.

"Carry me," Noelia mumbled, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"I'm not carrying you, you got carried last time. It's Is' turn."

"You're mean," Noelia pouted as she grudgingly opened her eyes, unbuckled herself, and slid out of the car. Her dark eyes were narrowed accusingly at Santana, who was scooping up a still sleeping Isabel. "You like her better."

"You're wrong, I don't like either of you," Santana deadpanned. She was trying to balance the tiny person clinging around her neck and the shopping bag full of clothes she had bought simply because she could. Her father had no rules when it came to spending the money in the bank account he had given her, it was just there. "Now, come on, it's freezing out here."

"I'm gonna be mad at you the rest of the day!" Noelia announced as they walked through the door. She immediately began tugging off her mittens and throwing them on the floor with stiff movements.

Santana only rolled her eyes and attempted to pull off Isabel's boots while she still hung limply in her arms. "You can do whatever you want as long as you put those mittens away by the time I come back out here." She then headed for the living room and laid her little sister on the couch, where she curled up and passed out all over again. When it came to one of the twins throwing a fit or having a temper Santana knew just what to do – ignore it. It eventually corrected itself and Santana knew from her own experiences that when someone was upset it was better to just leave them alone; emotions were not something that she delved into often.

"Pick 'em up?" Santana inquired as Noelia stomped into the room and threw herself onto the couch next to her twin.

"Yes!" the little girl snapped.

"Well, thank you!" she snapped back.

Once Noelia was situated watching a Disney movie and there were pizza rolls and tater tots in the oven, Santana started folding laundry. One would think it would be easier to fold sets of matching outfits, but the only thing it was for Santana was a headache. She didn't think she would ever figure out how one sock out of every group of four went missing, she just knew that it frustrated her to no end. Her Cheerios uniform was the last thing to be put away and as she looked at it with eyes that were about to cross from exhaustion, she couldn't have been more thankful that Christmas break was only a week away.

After finishing, she collapsed on the couch next to the twins, who were now both asleep again. She went over a mental checklist of other chores she needed to get done over the weekend, as she listened to the background noise of the Little Mermaid. It wasn't until the loud wail of the oven timer went off that she even realized that she had fallen asleep.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Santana got off the couch to prepare plates filled with junk food and ketchup. It was just another day in the life of a bitchy cheerleader/older sister/bully/damaged daughter.

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**Now onto the question that everyone is probably wondering...yes, Santana is gay in this story, but she's only out to her family and now Rachel! That's another reason why I'm not going to portray her as a slut, haha. Hope you liked it!**


	3. From Sarcasm To Sectionals

**AN: Chapter 3 is here! I can't thank you all enough for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I don't think I've ever had such good responses to stories before, all of you Pezberry fans are very generous with your reviews, so thank you, thank you, thank you! If you guys ever have suggestions or ideas for this fic I would love to hear them, I have a tentative outline but sometimes when I read different things in reviews they inspire me to add different scenarios along the way! **

**This chapter is a bit longer because we're getting past introductions and I have to be honest...I just really want to get to the good stuff and by that I mean coupley Pezberry + PezMinis! The next one will have San and Rach actually getting along, but for now enjoy a little drama! ;)**

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Chapter 3 – From Sarcasm To Sectionals

"…'_cause I've had the time of my life. No, I've never felt this way before…Yes, I swear, it's the truth and I owe it all to you…"_

Sam and Quinn finished their run through of their Sectionals number hand-in-hand, blonde, beaming, and breathless. Santana – who sat in the very back corner of the room with arms crossed and scowl in place – watched in disgust as they leaned in for a chaste kiss as everyone applauded. She was glad she had an actual solo; as in all by herself and not with one of her mindless male classmates.

"Good job, _Quim_," Santana hissed as she leaned forward and her cheerleading frenemy took the seat in front of her. "I actually threw up in my mouth a little, so I guess that means you and Ken are doing it right."

"Only you would use a filthy word like that," Quinn hissed back without even looking over her shoulder and somehow still keeping her smile in place. "Tramp," she finished.

"Mine's more creative…" Santana whispered to the blonde, letting her lips brush her ear just to make her uncomfortable.

Quinn huffed, just getting ready to turn around and physically remove Santana's chin from her shoulder when Mr. Schuester gave a single clap and shouted enthusiastically, "Santana!"

"Yeah, Mr. Schue?" Santana called back with nonchalance, leaning in her chair and slinging an arm across the back.

"You ready to sing your song for us!"

"Oh yeah, I gots this…"

If Santana was nervous – which she secretly was – then she did a nearly flawless job of acting her way through it. She swaggered and sashayed throughout the choir room while singing her rendition of 'Valerie' perfectly. The only time she faltered was when she gave a little smile and come hither motion with her fingers and had accidentally met Rachel's too eager eyes while doing so. That had quickly brought the scowl back to her face, but she recovered well enough and finished the song without a hitch.

_"…'cause since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess and I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress. Oh, won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me. Oh, why don't you come on over Valerie?"_

"And that's how it's done," Santana panted, still attempting to catch her breath as she planted her hand on her hip and gave her peers a cocky sneer.

"Whoa, Santana!" Mr. Schuester burst with excitement, slowly beginning to clap his hands to begin the eruption of applause. He turned on his chair to face the rest of the group with his signature goofy grin, his eyes already lighting up just imagining the win they could achieve. "What do you guys think, good enough to win Sectionals!"

Even though it was only a rehearsal, Santana's song was received with much more praise. And she just couldn't help looking to Quinn with a lilt of her head and a smirk. She didn't know why she had to outdo Quinn, or anyone for that matter, it just felt invigorating to be the best at something. But while she was glaring daggers into the blonde for all the wrong reasons, she had missed seeing the way that Rachel was furiously slapping her hands together and practically bouncing in her chair.

Fanning herself with her hand, Santana eventually sighed, "Alright, enough, I wouldn't want this to go to my head…"

Mr. Schuester laughed jovially, mistaking her sarcasm for a joke. "Okay, let's all go home and get some rest. We'll pick up on rehearsals again tomorrow after school!"

There was a collective groan after the mention of school the following day and then everyone heaved themselves from their seats, beginning to pull on coats and gather up purses and bags. Santana was hurriedly putting away her sheet music in a black folder so she could go home and hug her little sisters. Sure she had enjoyed practicing for her solo, but along with rehearsals came the exhausting ordeal of having to deal with all the characters in Glee club that did nothing but annoy her and make her roll her eyes. What she needed now was a little detox in the form of Isabel and Noelia, the only two people in her life to actually understand her.

The sudden shuffling of feet and insistent tap on Santana's shoulder had her wondering if the twins had followed her to the school, but when she turned around it all made sense.

"May I help you?" Santana asked in a clipped tone, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. She really had no intention of helping Rachel with anything – ever.

Rachel was unnaturally quiet as she just continued to stare at Santana, who was growing more irritated with each passing second. "That was…your voice is just…"

"Spit it out, Berry!" the Latina barked, arching her brows together with her usual fierceness. "It's just what, just not as good as yours! Afraid I'm gonna sabotage Sectionals!"

Santana had never quite understood why she was so defensive, she always felt the need to protect and defend herself in the face of possible threats. It was just what she did best. But it also could have been the chink in her armor that couldn't be seen from the outside – her own self doubt. The bristling at the back of her mind, telling her that anyone aside from her would have been a better fit for the solo.

"No! no!" Rachel stated rapidly, waving her hand in disagreement. She smiled genuinely and Santana thought it was probably out of fear of getting a smack down, that was until she opened her mouth again. "No, I was going to say that it's amazing and unique…soulful even…"

The Latina squinted her dark eyes and curled her lip, preparing to thank Rachel for finally looking outside of a mirror for other forms of talent.

But Mercedes beat her to the punch. "That's _if_ she had a soul!" Quinn howled her agreement and the two girls bumped fists as they walked out the door, still laughing raucously.

The notion that people actually thought she was completely unfeeling was hurtful and the comment cut Santana to the quick, but she tried not to let it show. Rachel's eyes followed the girls as they left, showing her usual disapproval of childish antics. "Ignore them," she insisted and then turned back to Santana, who combated her frown by furrowing her brows so hard that it created a deep crease in the middle of her forehead.

Santana stared at Rachel, feeling the hurt metabolize into frustration. She knew it wasn't Rachel's fault that Quinn and Mercedes were such bitches, but it didn't matter because Rachel was standing right in front of her and she had never learned to compartmentalize anger.

"Duh, Man Hands!" she finally spat, and then tried to distract herself by ripping her folder up from the chair she had set it on. "Now, I hope you're about finished because I kind of have other things to do in this lifetime…"

Shaking her head both to gently scold herself and to get her thoughts back on track, the petite brunette answered, "Of course, I'm sorry…and I'm sorry that I didn't give your voice a proper chance before because it really is beautiful. If anyone can win Sectionals for us, it's you. Well, except for me."

Santana recognized the rib and the camaraderie that Rachel was trying to share with her, but she was so disgusted with herself for getting upset about Mercedes' comment that all she could do was grit and bare her teeth in a skewed smile. "Ha, funny…I'm leaving now."

"Me too," Rachel stated with her congeniality that could not be swayed. She skipped down the elevated rows of seats in a bouncy gait, turning back around before she reached the door. "Oh, and, Santana? Have a good night and say hello to your little sisters for me."

By the time Santana had time to process what had been said Rachel had already disappeared and her chest clinched with guilt. She knew she could have caught her in her hallway, but she just couldn't move, so instead she berated herself like she did almost every other time she let her anger get the better of her.

_I'm such a worthless bitch…she didn't even do anything but give me a compliment…_

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After rehearsals, Santana had almost passed out from shock when she arrived home to find the dining room table set with boxes of pizza lying in the middle. And when her father emerged from upstairs, freshly showered, changed out of his scrubs, and surprisingly sober, she was sure she was dreaming.

"Hey, San!" he called with an inviting smile as he entered the kitchen.

Her heart leapt into her throat at the mention of her nickname, but she was still unsure of what to make of it all. She slowly hung her Cheerio's jacket over the back of a chair and watched carefully as he began pouring soda into glasses. "Hi, papí…"

"I let the babysitter leave early, I just thought that maybe we could all have dinner together tonight," he started to explain. "I didn't know what you would feel like eating, but hopefully pizza is fine."

"That's fine…" Santana answered plainly.

She was still trying to process the fact that her father had willing skipped out on a night of drinking to spend time with his daughters drinking nothing stronger than Coke. A sliver of her heart was screaming that maybe things were finally going to change, but the entirety of her mind was telling her that this was just a fluke. It was the holidays after all and he probably felt the need to show a slight interest in his family, things would be back to normal in no time. She would not allow herself to get her hopes up, not when she would have to pick up the shattered hopes of the two young girls who had just bounded into the room.

"Santa! Did you have fun at your singing thing!" Noelia asked, running up to her older sister for a hug. Santana had not been able to shake her newer, more festive nickname and she figured she probably never would.

"Of course I did!" she replied cockily, releasing Noelia and then scooping Isabel up into her arms before setting her down at her place at the table. "I'm the most talent they've got at that school!"

"You're funny, Santa!" Isabel laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…now eat your pizza." She slapped a slice onto each of their plates, causing them to giggle even more.

"What singing thing are they talking about?"

"Oh, it was just a rehearsal for Glee club. Sectionals are Friday night," Santana explained, taking her pizza, folding it in half, and then shoving it into her mouth. She really did not want to divulge any more details; she was too elated about her solo performance to let it be ruined by anything.

Isabel started waving her hands frantically, while rapidly trying to chew her mouthful of food before speaking. _At least they listen to some things I say, _Santana thought silently. "She gets to sing all by herself, papí! That's why they're gonna win!"

"Is that true? You got a solo?" Andres questioned, looking to his eldest daughter and giving her a bright smile.

Santana nodded. She sort of wished that Isabel had not spilled her secret to their father, it only reminded her of how little he knew about her and of how absent he was from all of their lives. "Yeah, it's true…"

"Well, why didn't you tell me! That's amazing, and Friday is the last day of school for the girls before Christmas break, we could all come and watch!"

Elation spread around the table as the twins erupted with shouts of agreement. Except Santana was not having it, this was actually the last thing she could have asked for. It was not that she did not want her little sisters to see her perform, she would have loved to have her family present. But given her father's track record, she knew that this was setting both her and her sisters up for heartbreak.

"I'm not sure…" Santana tried to reason, setting her crust down and suddenly not feeling very hungry. "It's not that big of a deal, it's actually kind of stupid and the school we're performing at is like two hours away. You don't have to come, I probably won't sound that great anyway."

"Santa! No!" Noelia whined, while Isabel had gone quiet.

"You _will_ be great, San, and I think that your sisters and I should be there while you do it," Andres announced, setting the twins to cheering again.

She should have been just as excited, but instead Santana was swallowing the knot in her throat and trying to be as nonchalant as possible. "I guess if you really want to…"

"That's what I like to hear! Now, let's have a toast to San getting her first solo!"

Their father moved to pour more soda for the younger girls but before he could even begin Santana was rubbing her forehead and then finally spitting, "They can't have anymore pop, dad! They're six years old, they'll be up all night!"

Andres halted and sheepishly set the two liter bottle back on the table, obeying the words of his daughter. The younger girls seemed unfazed by their sister's outburst, but as Santana's eyes connected with her father's she could tell that similar regrets and accusations were being wordlessly conveyed.

"I'm sorry," Santana eventually said, tearing her eyes away and gathering up her plate. "I'm just tired from rehearsals, I'm going to go upstairs. Girls, when you're finished come up so you can take a bath and get ready for bed."

As she fled the scene she could not help but feel guilty and upset that she had left during one of the few times that her family was actually together. And when she finally lied in bed that night, she did something that she had not done since her mother was alive – she prayed. She prayed for forgiveness, the strength to give her father yet another chance, and for his strength to not let her little sisters down, even if it was just this once.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Santana? Are you in here?"

Santana hastily wiped her lips with the paper towel she had clutched in her hand and pushed herself up off her knees. It was not her idea of fun to vomit twenty minutes before they were set to perform, but the combination of nerves and not hearing from her father since that morning had left her no choice.

"Yeah, I am…" she quietly answered Rachel and then went to the sink to rinse the sour taste from her mouth.

"Oh my gosh, are you sick! Please tell me this is just typical pre-show jitters, I can't prepare to be your understudy with less than twenty minutes left before we go on! You're song is a major portion of the performance and –"

"Shut up, Berry!" Santana growled, after spitting indecently into the sink. "You think your blathering is making me any less nervous! You think I don't realize that half of the show is my responsibility!"

"Sorry," Rachel stated lightly, looking anywhere but into the Latina's eyes. "I just want to make sure you're alright…I know how much this solo means to you."

"That's right, greatest day of my life," Santana said sarcastically in a sing songy voice, while she looked into the mirror and gave her hair a few final adjustments. She could have cared less about herself at the moment, she knew she could go on stage and sing her song; all she could care about was her sisters.

"Well, Santana, you _are_ going to be great…maybe you don't believe it yet, but _I_ do."

It was the exact same thing her father had told her, but it seemed to have more weight coming from Rachel and she did not know why. Ever since their meeting at the mall she had been feeling less annoyed by her and more curious. She turned from the mirror and looked to the other girl with confusion, finding her giving a small, but sincere smile. It was not like the typical toothy grin that the petite diva usually gave, it was one that conveyed something else entirely. Something mystifying and meaningful that made Santana want to break down in her arms, confess all her fears, and just let someone take care of her for a change.

To shake her strange feelings, she wanted to say something rude and witty in response to what could only be described as another very nice compliment coming from Rachel, the self-proclaimed star of Glee club. But unlike at their rehearsals, all that came out was, "Uh, okay…thanks."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Oh my God, we killed it, S! You killed it!" Brittany shrieked against Santana's neck in elation, as she squeezed her somewhat estranged best friend. They were both bouncing up and down in each other's embrace, not being able to get over the perfection that was their first place winning Sectionals performance. "You were amazing up there!"

"Thanks, so were you, Brit!" Santana insisted, speaking nothing but the truth. She was grinning from ear to ear and she couldn't stop, she didn't want to stop, but when a tiny hurricane of dark hair, flailing limbs, and stage energy smashed into her it almost knocked the smile off her face.

Though as soon as she had gotten her bearings again she was clinging tightly to Rachel – the girl she would normally rather torment than touch – and laughing, "Whoa, Rachel!" She was the only one backstage who had not realized that she had called the petite brunette by her first name; the rest of the Glee kids were internally scratching their heads, but chalked the slip up to adrenaline and excitement.

"I know you don't normally want anyone hugging you – let alone me – but you were fantastic so I just _cannot_ restrain myself! That song was made for you, Santana!"

The words were gushed so fast that they were almost unintelligible and Santana was so overwhelmed with emotions and sensations that she could not even speak, she just hugged back as hard as she could. She did not know what is was, maybe it was the fact that she had just done her first solo perfectly or the fact that they had won, but everything in the moment just felt right. Even having Rachel in her arms felt right.

"Do you believe me now?" Rachel suddenly asked, slightly bringing Santana down from her high.

"What?"

Her voice lowered so that the question what just for the two of them and she repeated, "Do you believe me now? That you were going to be great?"

Santana's moment was shattered in an instant as she remembered her father's words, and in turn his promise to her and her sisters. "Fuck…" she swore under her breath, beginning to pull away from the other girl. She hadn't had time to survey the entire crowd while on stage, but during the times that she was looking she hadn't seen her family.

"What's wrong?"

She missed the way Rachel's face fell when they separated and she gave no answer, but she couldn't worry about her now. She was on a desperate mission to hopefully find her father and sisters in the greenroom with some of the other parents, or find her phone and prepare for a classic Dr. Lopez letdown via voicemail.

"Quinn, is my dad here with the girls!" she asked, trying to control the panic she was starting to feel as she walked into the room and found it nearly empty, except for a few people. Even Quinn's dysfunctional mother had decided to show up.

"No, was he supposed to be here?" Quinn laughed, absent mindedly replying as she continued to converse with her mother.

Santana wanted to walk up to the blonde and sock her in the face for her uncaring, nonchalance. She was one of the few people that actually had some insight into her home life, but she should have known Quinn was too busy rebuilding her own wrecked life to care about hers.

Dashing to her purse, she rifled through the various items until she found her cell phone and swiftly slid it open. The lit screen read one voicemail and her stomach immediately sunk. She wasn't even sure if it was worth listening to it, she already knew they would contain some lame excuse she had heard a thousand times before, but she slumped down on the nearest chair and dialed her voicemail box anyway.

_**You have one new message, sent today at… **_Santana was starting to feel herself get angrier as each second ticked past, and it took all her control to not smash her cell phone against the wall. _More like, you have one nonexistent father, since your mother died five years ago, _she thought bitterly to herself.

She was gritting her teeth by the time the message was about to begin playing. Just thinking of hearing her father's voice made her want to scream, but when Noelia's uncharacteristically soft, frightened voice sounded in her ear instead, her throat began to close up.

"_**Santí? Where's papí? He didn't take us to see you…we don't know where he is, is he with you?" **_There was a pause in the message before Noelia's voice sobbed and then ended, _**"Come home…"**_

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Santana began chanting to herself as she dialed her home phone number only to receive no answer. It was then that she could no longer hold back her rage; she stood up from the chair she was sitting in and then proceeded to kick it across the room.

"Whoa, Santana! What the hell has gotten into you!" Mr. Schuester demanded as he came in from the hallway after hearing the crash. Quinn and her mother were gaping at her like anyone would after such a display. And Rachel, who Santana hadn't even realized had followed her from backstage, was watching her with a mixture of concern, understanding sympathy, and a touch of fear.

"I need to go home!" Santana shouted back at him, not caring who she pissed off anymore. "I need to go home, right fucking now!"

"Hey! Watch it!" Mr. Schuester warned, raising his finger in her direction. "You need to calm down and tell me –"

"Don't you dare tell me what I need to do," she snarled in a dangerously low tone, jabbing her own finger mockingly at him. "_You_ need to get your ass out there and tell that bus driver to get me back to Lima, and then you know what? You can go fuck yourself!"

With that said, she marched out the door to the parking lot, roughly pushing her way through her fellow Glee classmates who had gathered around the doors. They were all left wondering what had happened between her winning performance of 'Valerie' and her explosion in the greenroom, but none of them would find the true cause save one.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Sorry to leave you with a cliff hanger, but I promise it will be worth it! As always, thanks for reading!**


	4. Meltdown

**AN: Once again, thank you SOO much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I'm continually blown away by the number of reviews I've gotten so far, thnx! There's really no Rachel in this chapter, but the next chapter is when the true Pezberry begins. This one sets up the reasons of how and why San and Rach eventually get together. It's heavy on the drama and unfortunately it's mostly Sad!Santana, but I promise Rachel will cheer her up soon! Enjoy and thanks for reading! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, I'm just delusional. **

* * *

Chapter 4 – Meltdown

Santana had felt like a caged animal as she endured the two hour ride back to the high school. She had tried calling her house and her father to no avail until eventually her cell phone had gone dead, and after that her worries increased exponentially as the minutes dragged on. When she finally reached her front door and fumbled with her keys, she had to wonder how she had even managed to get home in one piece or without getting arrested for majorly speeding.

"Girls! Noelia, Is!" she shouted in panic, tearing off her coat and throwing it to the floor before running upstairs.

When she found the twins' room dark and empty, and received no answer, she thought that maybe her father had taken them out somewhere. But that didn't explain the voicemail or the fact that her father had not bothered to answer his cell phone to let her know either way.

Finally, she flipped the light on in her own room and breathed an audible sigh of relief when she saw two moving lumps beneath her comforter. She swiftly walked over and yanked the blankets back, finding Isabel in tears and Noelia clutching her Dora the Explorer flashlight while doing the same.

"Thank God…." Santana breathed out as she sat down on her bed and scooped both of them up against her chest. They immediately began crying even harder and it took all of her strength to not join in with them; she had to be strong for them, always. "My babies, ésta bien…ésta bien…"

"I was scared, San!" Isabel sobbed into her neck, while she clutched desperately at the collar of her sweatshirt. "Why didn't papí come home!"

Santana kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair back, whispering, "Shh, don't be scared…I'm here, I'm not going anywhere…he probably just got busy at work." It was a lie she had told plenty of other times and she had to wonder how much longer it would be an effective one. The twins were growing up and they were going to realize sooner rather than later.

Noelia was still sniffling, crying, and nuzzling her face against Santana's shoulder. But just like her eldest sibling, she insisted on trying to be the tough one. "I-I wasn't scared," she hiccupped.

Santana could not help but smile at the humorously ironic comment, yet her eyes were still misting over. "Then why are you crying, silly?" she asked, her voice half way between laughing and breaking down.

"I don't know…" came the light, dejected response.

"It's okay if you were," Santana whispered to them, as if she was telling a secret. "Because I was scared too." She gave Noelia a squeeze for emphasis and the little girl scowled.

"You don't get scared!" Isabel fiercely reminded, looking up at her with her dark eyebrows scrunched cutely.

The older girl shook her head in disagreement. "I do, sometimes…I mean, I don't get scared of monsters or Coach Sylvester like everyone else does…" The twins giggled through their tears at this comment, nearly forgetting their upset from moments before. "But I do get scared and worried over you two, what would I do without my little sisters? I was so upset when I listened to my voicemail that I kicked a chair!"

Once again, both girls burst into a fit of giggles. "That's cool!" Noelia gushed with laughter.

"No, it isn't cool or funny or positive in any way," Santana gently chided, pulling them close again and telling them what she knew her mother would want her to say. "And I don't ever want to see or hear about either of you doing something like that, is that understood?"

"Yes…" they answered blandly in unison.

"Alright, now, it's getting late, so…maybe we should watch a movie and have popcorn in my bed tonight?"

Then, the 'Yeses' came as excited shouts, and soon enough both twins had somehow escaped their sister's arms to start jumping and tumbling on the mattress.

"Hey!" she yelled, trying to get their attention as she stood up, trying to avoid the flying feet and hands. Noelia was already completing her second somersault and Isabel was about to begin take off for a front flip, when Santana caught her by the leg. "No! We're not doing tumbling right now, it's late and you both need to settle down. Geez, see if I show you anymore cheerleading moves…"

"You will too! 'Cause you want us to be Cheerios someday just like you!" Isabel said, casting a knowing smirk at her sister.

Santana narrowed her eyes at her for a few seconds before breaking down and smiling widely. "Okay, you're right! But before you can become the first twin captains of the Cheerios you have to choose what movie you want tonight."

"Lion King!"

"Pocahontas! No, I mean Shrek! No, I mean –"

"We had to watch Shrek last time!"

"No, we didn't, liar! She's lying!"

"Both of you, quiet! Or else I'm going to have you down there on the carpet doing push-ups like Coach Sylvester until your arms fall off!" Santana shouted over the other shouts echoing in her bedroom. She could not believe how the two balls of energy standing atop her bed could go from crying to laughing to jumping to fighting within minutes, they just never ceased to amaze her.

Lowering her voice to a normal level, she continued, "Now, we are going to solve this in a civilized manner…" She paused and eyed her sisters expectantly, thinking they would already know what she was about to say.

"What is it?" Noelia questioned with more attitude than a six year old should posses.

Isabel seemed just as confused. "Yeah, what?"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" Santana exclaimed loudly, thrusting her balled up fist out in front of her. "Come on, get those fists up. You both have to go against me now so you're obviously going to lose, but you know…"

"San, that's not fair!"

"You're too good at it!"

Santana scoffed at her younger sisters. "You're just scared you're going to lose. Now, best two out of three, ready, first round…go!"

The twins had grown up with their older sister using this game to solve fights and they had become accustomed to the way she played. All three of them rapidly slammed their balled up fist onto the open palm of their other hand three times and then revealed their choice with determination.

"Ha, scissors beats paper, Is! You're out, I won! Told you!" Santana taunted, bobbing her head and doing a dance of victory. Isabel pouted and sat back down on the bed, while Noelia still displayed her equally winning scissors. She wasn't pleased to see her twin upset, even if they had been fighting over movies.

"I got scissors too, _Santa_!" Noelia reminded, using her seasonal nickname.

"You're on!" Santana replied, and then they began the next round. The first two rounds of their best two out of three resulted in both of them getting a win.

"Next one wins…" the oldest brunette said with concentration, staring down Noelia before the last round began. "One, two, three!"

"You lose!" Isabel announced for Santana, who was holding up scissors again, while Noelia was proudly displaying rock. "Rock beats scissors, ha, ha!"

Santana downplayed her loss for her sister's enjoyment, acting like it didn't bother her so that they could tease her all the more. "It's fine…it's fine, I see how you two are, not even letting your big sister win. But anyway, what's your movie choice, Noé?"

"Lion King!"

"But I thought you didn't want that, I thought that was Is' choice?" Santana questioned, not yet realizing that she had been duped by the twins.

"It was, but she looked sad when you beat her so I wanted to win so she could watch it," Noelia explained with pride, looking over at her sister with a bashful smile.

Santana rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue playfully. "Oh, that's just _so_ cute! I'm going to make popcorn now because I can't even stand to be around all of the sweetness in this room!"

She could not have been more proud of how much the twins loved and cared for one another.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Kicking her bedroom door open, Santana entered while balancing a bowl of popcorn and an armful of water bottles (because she would be damned if she let those two get hyped with sugar) only to find that her small counterparts had already fallen asleep. They were snuggled into one another amongst the black down comforter and mess of pillows; Noelia's face nuzzled against her twin's neck, whose cheek rested on her dark hair. Santana sighed with a hint of exasperation as she set the snacks on her vanity, but smiled anyway. The two could have continued doing somersaults and she secretly would have been perfectly happy, she was just glad they were alright. After feeling physically ill with worry during the entire way home, seeing the twins curled up safely in her bed was the cure.

Once she had turned on the lamp on her nightstand, she turned off the overhead light and changed into pajamas so she could finally relax. Carefully, so as not to disturb her sisters, she crawled into the bed and then reached over to switch off the lamp again.

"San?"

Santana's heart gave a jolt at the sudden voice, but then calmed as she realized it was only Isabel. "You scared me," she whispered.

"Sorry…"

"It's alright, I just thought you were asleep, baby. Did you still want to watch the movie?" she asked, settling back against the pillows and laying her head close to her sister's.

"No…" Isabel answered in her typical, soft spoken tone. She squirmed away from her twin to turn into Santana's chest and wrap her arms around her torso. "I just wanted to ask you something, can I?"

"You know you can, you can ask me anything you want," Santana whispered in response, beginning to run her fingers absently through the young girl's hair. It wasn't unusual for the pair to have discussions between themselves. Sometimes they were light hearted and other times not, and unbeknownst to Santana this conversation was going to be anything but light hearted.

"Why doesn't papí love us?" Isabel questioned and Santana had to bite her lip harshly to hold back the hurt and emotions that had just snuck up and slapped her in the face.

"Why –" she paused to clear the tightness in her throat. "Why would you think he doesn't?" She knew it sounded ridiculous, but honestly she just couldn't think of anything to say. She was so close to crying that her jaw hurt from clenching and her brain just was not functioning properly. She had never thought of the possibility of the twins feeling unloved, but then again, why wouldn't they? She knew she did.

Isabel sniffled, and her voice quavered as she whispered, "He doesn't like to be with us…that's why."

The confession broke something inside Santana and the tears that had been flooding her eyes spilled past her lashes. She hated crying more than anything. But she didn't dare reach up to wipe them away or sniff them back, so she tried to steady her trembling chin and just hoped that Isabel would not realize. "Well, he loves you, he loves all of us…I promise. He's just…he's just sad that mamí isn't here anymore," she said while trying to keep her voice as even as possible, breaking up her sentences to do so. Bringing up their mother hurt, but deep down Santana knew that was the reason for her father's actions.

"I miss her too, but I'm still nice…" Isabel squeezed herself even closer as she lightly cried her innocent reasoning. Santana turned her face into the material of the pillow they laid on, trying to hold back the sobs forming in her chest.

She took a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down for her sister's sake. If she lost it, she wouldn't be able to console both herself and Isabel. "You _are_ very nice and you're so precious to me, Isabel," Santana began, hoping that the little girl could not feel the tears running down her neck. "And I love you and I promise papí loves you…no matter what, I promise. I don't want you to ever forget that, okay?"

"Okay…"

Santana felt herself relax when the young girl easily accepted what she had said. It may have been selfish, but she just did not know how to explain the situation to a six year old. She knew some part of their father loved them and she hoped it was enough to promise that until maybe one day when the twins could better understand. Or until maybe their father decided to actually be a father. But until then she just needed it to be enough.

"San, are you crying?"

"No, Is," Santana said hastily, after swallowing. "I don't cry. I don't get scared, remember?"

The young girl hesitated before answering, and Santana knew she had been caught. "Well, if you did cry…it would be okay…"

Trying to distract herself and hold back the additional tears that wanted to spill, the older brunette reached up and ran her hand through her hair, stealthily wiping her cheeks in the process. "Okay, okay, enough of this!" she whispered, trying to sound upbeat yet not wake Noelia at the same time. "Let's talk about something else. Tell me what you want for Christmas or something."

Isabel was still sniffling a little, but she managed to reply, "I don't know…"

Now, Santana was getting frustrated. She just wanted to change the subject. "Come on, you're a six year old. You must want something," she insisted, trying to keep any belying emotions from her voice.

"Fine, but you won't like it…"

"Just tell me, Isabel."

"For Christmas, I want mamí back."

Santana couldn't even stop the heavy sigh that escaped her lips. Isabel had been saying that since she was three years old, even after it had been gently explained to her that nothing would be able to bring back her mother. It seemed that the naïve Christmas wish would become less heartbreaking with time, but it always caught Santana off guard. Maybe because her greatest wish in life was for the exact same thing.

"Isabel…" she began, her tone lightly chiding.

"I know, San," the young girl answered glumly, already knowing what she was going to be told. She tucked her head further into Santana's neck and breathed, "Sorry…"

"It's okay," Santana said, pulling her impossibly closer. "Let's just go to sleep, it's way past bedtime."

Isabel nodded and after only a few minutes she was asleep, safe in her older sister's arms. But Santana remained awake, wondering how her life had turned into such a depressing mess. Her lip quirked sadly as she actually had time to process the fact that she nailed her first solo and caused a scene all in one night. Not that it really mattered; no one she cared about had been there to see it anyway. The wholly misunderstood brunette had figured out a long time ago though that life's worth – or at least hers – was not measured by choir competitions that won Sectionals or perfect cheerleading routines that won Nationals, but by the people you looked after and kept safe. She just had to wonder if someday there would be someone to look after her.

Just as her usual thoughts and concerns were becoming hazy with the edges of sleep, her cell phone hummed against the wood surface of her nightstand. Causing her to swiftly reach out and grab it before it could cause too much more noise.

**New TXT Message**

**Berry**

**Fri, Dec 17 12:47am **

Santana nearly scoffed at the name being brightly illuminated back at her. She was sarcastically wondering why Rachel wasn't in bed already, preparing for another meticulously planned, day in the life of a future Broadway star, since she knew they started at 6 o'clock in the morning after all. But as she tried to keep the negativity flowing, the memory of their interactions throughout the past few days – especially the one of their lengthy embrace after the performance – began to flood back.

Huffing out of annoyance with herself, she touched the screen with her thumb and read the message.

**I hope everything is alright at home, S. Congrats again on your solo. If you need anything just txt/call. ~ BrightStar **

And then again, there were tears in Santana's eyes as she carelessly tossed her phone on the carpeted floor and stared up at the dark ceiling. _Stupid BrightStar, stupid Rachel, _she thought to herself while the warm liquid trailing from the corners of her eyes slipped into her hairline. _I don't need anyone or anything._

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

By eight o'clock the next morning, Santana was awake and aimlessly clicking through television channels as she sat on the couch in the living room. The ups and downs of the emotional roller coaster that she seemed to be stuck on had kept her restless throughout the night, until finally she couldn't lie still in her bed anymore without waking the twins.

"All these freakin' channels and still nothing to watch…" she muttered under her breath. One perk of having an absentee father who worked as a doctor, was that the girls had never gone without. In fact, they were spoiled with so many different material items that they weren't even interesting to them anymore. Tiffany bracelets bought ego boosts and a rich girl reputation, but it didn't do much concerning the love and respect department.

Finally, she settled on the Disney channel and flopped down across the couch cushions. It was what she was used to watching anyway and she had found that is wasn't that bad, it was easier to listen to overly excited characters who didn't have a care in the world rather than something depressing like the local news. As she listened to the downright annoying, yet somehow oddly comforting song from a show that her sisters loved, it reminded her of someone – Rachel Berry.

The memories of the night came back and Santana pulled her cell phone from the front pouch of her sweatshirt with a sigh. She was feeling drained and in turn fairly generous, so she figured the appropriate thing to do was at least text Rachel back

**Thnx, everything's good….**

"You're up early…"

The deep voice startled Santana out of her concentration and she nearly dropped her cell phone from her hands, forgetting the text. Her father stood in the threshold between the living room and kitchen with bloodshot eyes, shedding his coat to reveal his wrinkled scrubs. He acted as if nothing had happened at all and it made Santana's mind alight with ire.

"Where were you last night?" she asked slowly and cautiously, like she was trying to warn him to choose his words wisely.

He looked at her in confusion for a few seconds before the meaning behind the question settled in. "Oh, shit, San," he groaned weakly, bringing his hand up to run it over his eyes and forehead. "I forgot all about that…"

"Shit? Shit!" Santana shouted, as she nearly leapt from the couch to her feet. "That's all you have to say! How about, 'I totally screwed over my six year old daughters and left them alo –'"

"Santana, watch your mouth!" he shouted back. "I don't feel like dealing with this!"

"Watch my mouth! Oh, well, if we're giving advice, here's some advice for you!" Santana raged, gesturing wildly with her hand. "Why don't you watch your kids for once! When do you ever have to 'deal' with me anyway! You're never home, you never have to deal with _anything_ least of all me!"

"Santana Alejandra! Enough!"

"_No!_ It's not enough!" Santana cried, her vocal chords beginning to choke on the hurt and anger she had been feeling for too long. She dropped her head and pushed the heels of her palms against her eyes to hide her face, she didn't want to look any weaker than she already felt. But she just couldn't hold it back anymore; she had heard too many lies and excuses over the years. "It's not…why don't you understand!"

The unexpected display of emotion from his usually hardened daughter diminished some of the anger she had caused and Andres stepped forward hesitantly, moving to place his hand on Santana's shoulder. "San, I'm sorry…I got caught up at the hosp –"

"Don't touch me! You're lying!" she sobbed, flinching away from her father's touch just as his fingertips brushed her.

Like a switch had been flipped, Andres' attitude changed and he suddenly became concerned with the situation. It truly pained him to see the young woman – who would always be his little girl – crying, but he also knew that tragedy, time, and his own shortcomings had driven a wedge between them. "Come on, San," he said gently, and taking his chances he carefully took her by the shoulders and guided her to sit on the couch.

Too upset to keep fighting it, Santana dropped down to the cushions while keeping her head hung and her now tear dampened face hidden. Andres knelt in front of her, unclenching her hands and holding them between his own. Santana let him go on until he said the one thing that she had been aching to hear since the day she watched her mother's casket disappear into the ground.

"It'll be okay, mija…"

Pulling away as if burned, Santana pierced her father with her disgust. The comment had sent her into a state of chaos and before she could even comprehend what she was doing Andres was catching one of her swinging fists in his hand. But not before it had managed to catch him across the mouth.

"What the hell was that!" he roared as he stood up from the floor, holding his fingertips to his injured lip.

"Don't ever call me that again! You don't treat me like your daughter, you certainly don't love any of us like daughters and I _hate _you for it!" Santana was screaming as loud as she could, fighting the knot in her throat. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that Noelia and Isabel would hear it upstairs, but another part of her mind was hoping that her father would hear it as well.

"And you wonder why I don't want to be here, when I have to deal with this!" Andres spat back, the volume of his voice outmatching his daughter's. "Idon't even know why I bother at all!"

"You don't! You don't do anything but throw money at us so we'll shut up and try to forget that our dad is an alcoholic who doesn't care about us and that our mom died! And speaking of mamí, I wonder what she would think of all this!"

It was a low blow, but as the barb found its target Santana couldn't help but feel some type of satisfaction. Some of the angry spark in her father's eyes vanished and his face fell for a short moment before he put his walls up again.

"Well, if we're talking about your mother…" Andres began, his voice lowering to a cynical growl. "I wonder what she would think about her oldest daughter doing nothing with her life but flouncing around in a cheerleading skirt, while being a high school whore!"

As Santana let the insult sink in she squeezed her eyes shut to block out her father's face and pressed her hand to her chest, willing herself to remember how to breathe. She wished he would have just slapped her or done anything beside say what he had.

"I hate you…" she whispered, and then gaining more strength she repeated, "I really do hate you." It was the furthest thing from the truth; she could only hope to one day hate her father so that times like this wouldn't sting her as badly as they did. But for now she would just have to hope that saying it out loud would hurt him as bad as he could hurt her.

"Doesn't matter, I'm leaving," Andres said evenly, not even bothering to look at his daughter again before picking up the jacket he had just discarded.

Santana waited for the door to close and then, taking the stairs two at a time she retreated to her room, pausing only when she reached the top of the landing and found Noelia and Isabel sitting there, gaping and frightened just like she had expected. The guilt hit her like it always did, but for the first time in a long time she was selfish and she just couldn't bring herself to care.

"Just fucking great!" she spat, and then stormed into her room, slamming the door and locking it just before she doubled over into sobs.


	5. Beasts & Bonding

**AN: Get ready for Pezberry because it starts now! :D Ahh, I don't know if you all are excited, but I am! Before I go on, I want to thank everyone for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I have over 100 alerts for this story and I've been getting tons of reviews, I can't even say how much I appreciate that! Like I said, this is the chapter where the 'relationship' begins, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, if I did Rachel would have said, "The only job you're going to have is being my trophy wife!" ;)**

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Chapter 5 – Beasts & Bonding

When Rachel's cell phone came alive and 'Santana Lopez' scrolled across the screen, her stomach flipped over in both excitement and apprehension. She hadn't stopped thinking of her classmate since their chance meeting at the mall, where an entirely different side of Santana had been revealed to her. So after the scene at Sectionals it only made sense that those thoughts had turned into worry.

Clearing her throat in preparation, Rachel answered her cell phone with a luminous smile, "Hi, Santana!"

"_Rachel?"_

The voice that replied definitely was not the low, sultry voice – in Rachel's opinion – that should have been answering. But it took only a few seconds of confusion before she realized who it was.

"Um, Noelia? Isabel?" Rachel tested, trying to correctly recall the names of Santana's younger twin sisters. She was completely mystified as to why the two would be calling her, but she could only assume they were up to no good or even worse – their older sister had put them up to it.

"_It's Noelia…"_

The little girl's tone sounded strange and it confused Rachel all the more. Concern started seeping into her mind. "Noelia, may I ask why you're calling? Where's your sister?"

"_She's with me…"_

"No, where is your big sister? Where's Santana?" she questioned, while looking at her coat hanging on the back of her bedroom door. The idea of driving over to the Lopez household had already taken hold.

"_She got in a fight with papí and –"_

"Whoa, calm down, Noelia," Rachel interrupted as the girl was beginning to sound hysterical. "What kind of a fight? Is Santana okay?" she asked further, fearing the worst. She had no idea what kind of a man their father was, but she hoped it wouldn't be what she was imagining.

_"They were yelling and yelling! And papí left and Santana went in her room and she locked the door and she's crying!"_

At first, the exasperated rambling was difficult to understand, but Rachel had heard the portion about Santana crying loud and clear. It rooted her to her desk chair. Something about imagining Santana reduced to tears sent a shiver of fear and sadness through her own body. The hardened cheerleader was one of the strongest people she could think of, so something drastic had to have taken place.

"Noelia? Listen to me, stay with Isabel and don't go anywhere, I'm coming over."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel had hardly had a chance to touch the doorbell before the heavy front door was thrown open and two tiny balls of nervous energy stuck to each of her legs like magnets, nearly knocking her over. She knew she had come to the right house because she and Santana had rode the same bus during elementary school, but it was just difficult to believe that the little Lopez's clinging to her were of any relation to the Lopez she was used to.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you two to never open the door to strangers?" Rachel scolded, patting their heads and trying to coax them into letting her move again.

Holding tightly to her side, Isabel answered, "Santana told us never do it, but we saw you from the window so we opened it!"

"Yeah! She won't be mad, promise!" Noelia explained further, her voice hurried and jumbled exactly like that of an upset child. "You just have to make her come out of her room so she stops crying!"

The nervousness that Rachel had been experiencing during the short drive over began to subside as she witnessed just how affected the twins were by whatever had happened between Santana and their father. The question of why she was doing this for someone who usually made a show of openly disliking her and how Santana would react to her presence had already been flickering through her head. But even if the older Latina did get angry, she was going to take care of her sisters for her anyway.

"Okay, if we're going to get her out you have to let me in the house first…"

Noelia and Isabel immediately let go of Rachel's legs in favor of taking her hands and tugging her through the doorway, the living room, all the way to the kitchen. They then stopped in front of the refrigerator which was covered in clipped out coloring book pages and other illustrations, and looked up expectantly.

"It's up there!" announced Noelia, pointing a finger upwards.

"What's up there?" Rachel asked absently. She had been distracted by a drawing done in crayon of three stick figures, one larger than the other two and wearing what could only be described as a child's rendition of a cheerleading uniform. At the top, the page read, 'I love Santí!' in shaky lettering. Something about the innocence of it all made Rachel's heart melt; she wanted to know the Santana from the drawing, the one her sisters got to see every day. The one that lived in the gorgeous house she was currently standing in, which was nothing like the lair or cave most people probably imagined Santana crawling out of each morning.

Noelia seemed disgruntled that she wasn't understood the first time and she bounced up and down on her feet while still pointing. "The key! The key to her room!"

"She won't be able to reach either! She's small like us!" Isabel cried helplessly, and for a moment Rachel was worried that real tears might be shed. She felt she was prepared for most situations, but to say that she was effortlessly comfortable around children would have been a lie.

"It's okay, don't worry, Noelia, I'll just –"

"No, I'm Isabel!"

"And I'm Noelia!"

"Okay, okay! I apologize, now let me think," Rachel said while looking around the kitchen. "Aha! A chair, that will help us reach the correct elevation to reach the key!"

Both girls looked at her as if to say, 'Less talking, more doing,' but it was only Noelia who bothered to reply. "Alright, just get it!"

A few minutes later, Rachel was standing outside of the door she had been led to while grasping the key in her now sweaty hand. She had already admitted to herself that the Lopez house was nothing to be fearful of, it wasn't dark or infested with evil creatures, but she knew the girl just on the other side of the door could be evil enough to make up for all of that. But Rachel also knew that she could almost be what one would call sweet, and suddenly it felt like standing at the mouth of a volcano, not knowing when or if Santana was going to erupt.

"Go in…" Noelia urged quietly, giving Rachel a small nudge towards to door.

"Are you sure she won't get mad?" Rachel questioned and tried to swallow down the nerves bubbling up in her stomach once more.

She felt a hand at her waist and then she was looking down into Isabel's dark pleading eyes, as she whispered, "Please, Rachel?" Denying that face was impossible, so she gathered up her courage and took a deep breath. The key slipped into the lock noiselessly, and before she knew what to make of it she was standing in a violet hued room and shutting the door behind her.

There was no sign of the Latina until Rachel walked a little further and bent her head out from behind the alcove of the door. When she first saw Santana it felt like she was sneaking up on a sleeping beast, only the beast wasn't sleeping and she wasn't a beast at all. She was just a teenage girl sitting on the floor against the end of her bed, sniffing and dabbing at her tear swollen eyes with a crumpled tissue.

"Santana?" Rachel had hardly even whispered the name, but it startled the girl nonetheless and her eyes showed fear before the anger quickly began to register.

"What the hell are _you _doing here? How did you get in!" Santana hissed in a dangerously low tone, her eyes immediately becoming colder and colder with each passing second. The tissue in her hand felt her wrath as well, as she squeezed into an even smaller ball.

"You're sisters…they were worried, they said –"

"Leave!" Santana suddenly screamed and then pushed herself up off the floor with a prowess that only an athlete such as herself could possess. "Leave! Get the fuck out, now!"

While backing up into the door as the tall brunette advanced on her, Rachel tried to explain herself. "Santana, I –"

"If you don't leave right now, I'm going to beat the shit out of you and then drag you out!" Santana continued to scream and then slammed her open palms against the door on either side of Rachel's face. "Get the fuck out!" she repeated, only it didn't come out as menacing as before, it came out as a sort of desperate, exhausted sob.

The smaller of the two brunettes could do nothing but stare at Santana as she panted into her face in an obvious attempt to keep herself from crying. It would take just a small push for her to shatter.

"Santana, it's okay…" Rachel told her softly, while very hesitantly moving her hand up to rest it on the other girl's shoulder. The touch was meant to be both a mixture of self defense and comfort, but she hoped more for the latter.

Santana tried her best to glare back into Rachel's matching brown eyes, but as she slid her hand up to cup her jaw she just couldn't anymore. Her eyes welled with more tears and instead of letting them fall for Rachel to see, she spun away from her with an animalistic cry.

She ravaged her vanity first, sweeping all of its surface contents onto the floor with a maniacal growl. The perfume bottles and jewelry box barely had time to settle together on the carpet before she turned over her tall chest of drawers, shattering a rather expensive looking lamp in the process. When she rounded on the desk that was set with a computer and printer, Rachel snapped out of her stupor and went after Santana, catching her by the waist and restraining her arms from doing anymore damage.

Rachel had been prepared to take a few blows or to at least be met with some struggling, but surprisingly enough, at feeling the arms around her Santana collapsed to the floor. She hung her head between her bent knees and brought her hands to clasp over the back of her head, sobbing so hard that her entire body trembled from the effort.

"C-could you – could you please leave!" Santana cried when Rachel knelt down and laid her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not going to leave you like this…" the petite diva replied bravely, willing to face whatever else Santana had to throw at her, because deep down she knew that she probably just needed someone to understand.

When Santana sobbed, 'Why?' it confirmed Rachel's thoughts and she knew that the one word question really translated to, 'Everyone else does.'

They sat side by side together on the floor until Santana's chokes and gasps for breath turned to slight shudders and sniffles. Rachel smoothed her hand over her back every so often, feeling muscles quivering with tension.

"Here, have a tissue…" Rachel chanced saying as she fetched the box of tissues from where it had been setting from the Latina's earlier bout of crying. She felt bad that Santana seemed to be having such an emotionally trying day, but at the same time she could not help the curiosity she felt over what could have happened. All types of scenarios were jumbled around in her head, each one more elaborate and dramatic than the next.

Santana gave a weak glare as she picked her head up from her knees, it was a hard thing to do with a face puffy and splotched from crying. Before she could speak, Rachel reached out and gently pressed a tissue to her cheek, beginning to dry the mixture of tears and mascara from her skin.

"I can do it myself!" Santana grumbled, snatching the tissue away and putting her head down again.

Rachel sighed and rested her chin in her hand as she sat cross legged. "Then you should do it, because tracks from last night's mascara aren't very becoming, not even for you." She figured Santana would not respond well to coddling, so she tried something she knew she was familiar with – sarcasm.

When Santana lifted her head again her glare had gained a bit more strength, but definitely not enough to make anyone go running like it had been known to. "You're so weird, Berry."

She knew it was a lame comeback – if it could even be considered a comeback at all – but her head was so congested from crying that she didn't have any room left for bitter thoughts. Taking the tissue, she began trying to salvage her face as Rachel had advised.

"Yes, very weird…" Rachel said with an eye roll and a hint of a smile. "Says the girl who just dismantled her room like a tropical storm."

"Shut up!" Santana spat and viciously threw her wadded up tissue at the other girl.

Rachel easily dodged the object and her smile grew as she looked at the flustered scowl marring Santana's lips and brows. "Although that was decidedly gross, you've obviously done worse…" She looked around pointedly at the wreckage around them.

"So, why are you here anyway?" Santana was choosing to ignore Rachel's attempts to brighten her spirits. She was not in the mood to be in a good mood and she intended on staying in a bad mood for at least the rest of the day, or at least that was the goal she was setting for herself. She understood where Noelia got her temper from.

"You're sisters called me with your cell phone, pretty impressive for six year olds actually," stated Rachel nonchalantly, while secretly knowing that Santana wouldn't be able to resist a conversation about her sisters. "They were worried about you and upset that you were up here crying."

It was immediately obvious that Santana had not taken the comment the way Rachel had meant her to. Her eyes became glassy all over again and her full lips trembled as she pressed her palm to her forehead, hiding her face again.

Scooting closer to Santana, Rachel began rubbing her back in slow circles. "Hey, I'm sorry, no more crying…"

"I'll cry if I want, don't tell me what to do, Rachel!" the Latina attempted to growl, but her voice cracked and ruined her efforts.

A sad and sympathetic smile came over the petite brunette's face and she draped her arm around Santana's back. "Santana, I'm sorry I have to say this but you're not very domineering in this state…I mean, I thought a badass such as yourself never cried _and_ you just called me Rachel."

"Be quiet, I don't care!" Santana listened to her own demand and stayed quiet, thinking and letting Rachel touch her without a fight or biting comment. It wasn't until a few minutes later that the honest and genuine Santana actually began to emerge from underneath the trying-to-be-tough façade.

"Are my sisters alright?"

"They were just worried about you and since I haven't smelled any smoke or heard any screaming in the last half hour I'm assuming they haven't tried to use the oven, subsequently burning the house down."

"I taught them better than that…" Santana scoffed.

Rachel simply replied, "I believe you." And then silence ensued once more.

"Did Noelia tell you what happened?"

Quirking a brow, Rachel asked, "How did you know it was Noelia who called?"

Santana brought her hand away from her eyes and lifted her head to catch Rachel's gaze, giving her a smirk that was nothing but playful. "I just know. If you haven't noticed she's sort of a blabber mouth just like you."

The smaller girl laughed lightly and broke their eye contact in a shy manner. "Well, then you must know that the answer to your question is yes."

"Mmm…" Santana hummed thoughtfully, looking out over her damaged room. Now came the part where she felt compelled to explain. To tell Rachel that her father was an alcoholic, but not to imagine anything worse than that because he would never hurt his daughters, at least not in a way that was visible. "You remember the car accident, right? How my mom died?"

"Yes…I'm sorry, Santana…"

The Latina sighed and wondered why she felt she needed to tell Rachel, but for once she was just going to do something that seemed right instead of wondering how it would make her appear. "No need for you to be sorry…that's just where the story starts, the story of how my dad turned into a functioning alcoholic and left me and my sisters to fend for ourselves."

"Santana, you don't have to –" Rachel began, only to be interrupted.

"I want to tell you," Santana stated plainly, without any emotion whatsoever.

"How did you know what I was going to say?"

Santana sighed again and for a moment Rachel thought she was trying to formulate a snotty retort, but she didn't. "Because obviously when someone starts talking about their dead mother and their absent, alcoholic father most people assume that they probably really don't want to talk about the subject. But since I'm telling you at all, could you just listen?" she asked and then added a soft, "Please?"

"Of course…" Rachel whispered. To say she was surprised would have been an understatement; she was completely in awe of how much Santana was opening up to her.

"My dad isn't like abusive or anything," Santana said with an eye roll at how cliché it all sounded. "So don't think that. He just…he just doesn't care anymore, I guess."

"Santana, I think it would be impossible for your father to not care about you and your sisters," Rachel replied in a gentle tone, trying not to be offensive.

"I know," she agreed. "It's just that his way of showing he cares is by giving me a ton of money to buy groceries and whatever else we could ever want while he's not around. It just gets hard, you know? I'm only sixteen, I'm not supposed to be anyone's mom…I still need _my_ mom."

Santana's brown eyes showed five years of repressed pain and vulnerability, and she just needed for someone to finally understand and remember that outside of a stupid high school reputation she was just a young girl with the same feelings as all the rest, even if she did try to act like a bitch to deny them. Rachel nodded and their eyes met in a moment of understanding before she guided Santana into a hug.

"If it's any consolation, I think you've done an amazing job at being a role model for the twins," Rachel told the Latina as they continued to embrace. "They're articulate, intelligent, polite…a little rambunctious but nonetheless adorable."

Santana giggled as she pulled away from Rachel and wiped a tear from beneath her eye. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome, it's only the truth." Rachel handed her the tissue box again with a smile. "Now, could you please stop all this crying? It's freaking me out to see you this emotional."

"Sorry," Santana laughed, accepting another tissue and drying her eyes for what she hoped would be the last time that day.

"Well, we've been sitting on the floor for the better part of an hour now," Rachel stated, standing up and pulling her sweater down. "So – don't smack me, this is just a suggestion – maybe you could take a nap or just take some time for yourself and I'll watch the girls for you?"

Santana was already shuffling toward her bed and lying down, trying to shake out the numbness that had settled into her left foot. "Don't worry, I completely agree."

"Perfect," Rachel smiled brightly at Santana. Their eyes gazed into one another's until finally Rachel became unnerved and broke her concentration by glancing around the room. "Here, you should have this," she said and then took the folded blanket from the foot of the bed and handed it to Santana. "And I guess we'll see you in a while?"

"Yeah…yeah, definitely…" Santana responded, a little at a loss for words. "Rachel?" she called as the small brunette began to leave the room.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for being here."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Girls?" Rachel called out as she descended the stairs, nearly skipping. She couldn't explain what had just happened between she and Santana, but whatever it was it made her heart feel like it was floating and there were definitely a numerous amount of butterflies gently fluttering in her stomach. "Girls, where are you?"

Out of nowhere, the twins came skittering around the corner from the living room. "Where is she!" "Where's Santí?" "Why didn't she come out?" "Is she still crying!"

"Shh, shh…" Rachel hushed them, bringing her index finger to her lips. "She's fine, she just wants to rest for a while because she's tired. That means we have to be quiet, okay?"

Noelia narrowed her eyes questioningly and Isabel just seemed to be curious about the whole situation. Rachel could see a part of Santana in each of them, her fierce, protective side in Noelia and a surprisingly shy and sweet side in Isabel.

"You didn't make her cry more, did you?" Noelia asked, an adorable skepticism showing in her eyes as she studied Rachel.

"No, of course not!" Rachel swiftly assured, almost forgetting that she was talking to children, who really could not have done anything to her even if she had made Santana cry. But she didn't want to cross the twins; she had a strong feeling that they harbored more mischievous qualities than they let on.

"So…she's not upset anymore?" Isabel asked softly. Unlike her sister, she seemed to trust the older girl.

Kneeling down, Rachel held out her hands to both of them and they each hugged themselves to her sides just as they would have done to Santana. "I promise she's fine now. She's just going to take a nap and I'm going to stay with you two until she wakes up. I'm sure we could brainstorm a list of activities of which we could partake in this afternoon. Does that sound alright?"

"Yes!" Noelia exclaimed and Isabel agreed with a nod. "But Rachel, you have to stop saying so many words."

* * *

**Sooo...what did you think! Let me know, it will just get better from here! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Eating Brains, Stealing Hearts

**AN: So, everyone, I'm kind of freaking out because...I got nearly 30 reviews for the last chapter, omg! I still can't get over how well everyone seems to be liking this story and as always, thank you so very much for that! Your reviews have actually sparked a lot of interesting ideas that I could use, so that's a bonus as well. Also, FanFiction decided to start going crazy so I wasn't able to reply to some reviews. So to kiarcheo, Smudje, othlvr16, Angel JJK, Ggfanatic1993, Gleekfan, JackyKay, and nickd93, my apologies for not being able to personally thank you, I can assure you that I loved all of your reviews and hopefully I'll have better luck next time! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee I would dress Santana up in a sexy candy striper outfit...oh wait, nevermind...**

* * *

Chapter 6 – Eating Brains, Stealing Hearts

In the middle of the Lopez's basement/cluttered playroom, Rachel sat in a small pink, child sized chair at an equally small table with the twins flanking her. A pen was poised in her hand. "Alright, you two, do you have any suggestions as to what we should do to entertain ourselves?"

Isabel politely raised her hand, causing Rachel to nearly spontaneously combust over the fact that someone was actually respecting her authority and ideas. "I think we should play cowboys and Indians."

"That's a lovely idea, Isabel!" the older brunette said enthusiastically and set to work writing down the activity in a list that she had already pre-bulleted.

"You got my name right!" the little girl beamed. Looking up from her paper, Rachel smiled back and silently praised herself for choosing the correct name – because she really had no idea.

"Well, I think we should play restaurant." Noelia added, not bothering to raise her hand. Rachel couldn't help but liken the scenario to Santana's random outbursts and interjections during Glee club. Although what Noelia had to say was much more innocent.

As Rachel neatly printed the second idea, she announced, "It's been documented!" But when she looked up neither of her young charges was listening, they were whispering to each other with strange smirks on their faces. "Girls, what's wrong? Do you have something else you'd like me to add to the list?"

"We wanna play cowboys and Indians," Noelia said with finality, completely disregarding her earlier suggestion for Isabel's.

Figuring it was futile to try to determine why the change in preference; Rachel shrugged and pushed the pen and paper aside. "Cowboys and Indians it is then!"

Isabel bolted from her chair and dug into a toy box, while Noelia fetched a lime green scarf from a trunk filled with dress-up clothes. "You're going to be the cowboy and we're going to be the Indians," Noelia informed Rachel. "Now, close your eyes."

"Why!" Rachel suddenly asked, becoming a little alarmed as the eldest of the two twins attempted to get the scarf around her face.

"Because we caught you in our cowboy traps and you have to do what we say!"

"Oh, I see…well alright then." Rachel ended her struggle and let Noelia wrap the material all around her face, completely cutting off her ability to see Isabel fast approaching with a tangle of jump ropes in hand. Before she even knew what was happening, her hands were pulled behind the chair and something was being wrapped around her. "Girls! What are you doing!"

"You're caught! And when you're caught you gotta get tied up!" Isabel laughed devilishly, as she continued to loop another jump rope around the brunette. They may not have been old enough to create any real knots, but by tucking loose ends beneath other lengths and crisscrossing the ropes back and forth they were able to get Rachel thoroughly restrained.

"This is not funny!" Rachel tried to state as sternly as she could through a mouthful of scarf. "I hope you have considered the repercussions you might face if you refuse to untie me."

Noelia gave a war cry while slapping her hand over her mouth. "And after you get tied up then you get eaten!"

"We're gonna cook you in a fire!" Isabel said, and then began piling an assortment of toys at Rachel's feet for makeshift 'firewood.' After making a series of whooshing and scraping noises, the little girl announced, "The fire is started and now you're gonna die!"

"This is deplorable!" Rachel shouted through her gag, while wiggling and squirming in the chair. "Who taught you such a horrible and violent game!"

"I'm gonna eat her brain!"

"Well, I'm gonna eat her eye!"

The scarf fell from Rachel's eyes from all of the moving she was doing and it was just in time to see Noelia coming towards her with plates and utensils from the play kitchen set. When a plastic knife was thrust towards her head she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that Santana would wake up if she started screaming for help. But after the knife was carefully traced around her head and a few unmentionable squish noises were made, it was over for her.

Noelia laughed evilly. "I got her brain out!"

"Let's eat it!" Isabel replied, putting the fake dishes on the table.

"I'm telling your sister about this, and what do you think she'll have to say about it?" Rachel tried to sound threatening, but the twins weren't even listening. They were too busy toasting their plastic cups.

"She'll want to eat your brain too!"

Rachel gave up, rolled her eyes, made herself comfortable in her chair, and watched as Noelia and Isabel devoured the contents of her head with forks and spoons. She wasn't sure if Santana would really want any of her brain, but she knew for certain that all three of the Lopez girls were somehow doing a perfect job of stealing her heart.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Nearly three hours later, Santana silently emerged from the house, her dark chocolate eyes rimmed with redness from tears and restless sleep. And while she wouldn't have admitted it out loud, as she dropped down onto the front porch steps and rested her chin on her knees, she was most definitely pouting. After a while, watching her sisters and Rachel playing in the fresh snow together helped to combat her dull mood. But what really got her spirits up was witnessing Noelia and Isabel tackle her classmate into a snow drift and begin to shove snow into her hood.

"Oh, snap…" Santana laughed to herself, as she got up off the porch and sprinted to Rachel's rescue. "Hey! Girls, don't do that! If you cover her with snow we're going to lose her, she's not that big, you know!"

Santana knew she was committing self sacrifice as the girls turned to her with a gleam in their eyes and it didn't take long before the twins had knocked her down into the same position. What started out as a hug filled greeting had soon turned hostile and then ended with the twins running off, cackling devilishly.

"Thank you for your attempts at saving me, Santana. You should have just saved yourself though, they've already put me through the wringer this afternoon," Rachel panted as she laid spread eagle on the powdery front lawn. "I applaud you, I never knew children could be so difficult."

"Well, it might just be those two, but you get used to it," Santana stated, then pushed herself off the ground, brushed the excess snow away and offered Rachel her gloved hand. "What do you say we get them back? I bet they're hiding behind the pool house, we can sneak up on them, they'll never know what hit 'em!"

As Rachel stood up with her hand grasped in Santana's she could not stop smiling. "Who are you? What have you done with Santana Lopez?" she laughed. "You're helping me up and calling me by my first name, this just isn't normal!"

Santana immediately flushed and dropped her hand. "Uhh…" she stammered, trying to find something to say before deciding to just ignore what had been said. "I'm threatening violence here, isn't that Santana enough for you! Now, are you going to help me or not!"

They ran into the back yard, kicking up snow and soaking their jeans as they crept behind the pool house. The twins were crouching down in the snow behind the farthest wall just as Santana had predicted and when they were peeking around the opposite corner she ambushed them with snowballs. Rachel didn't participate in the girls' small snowball fight; she was entertained just watching Santana in such a natural state as she stalked the twins across the yard.

Santana continued her chase, pushing the twins to run around the house while squealing and giggling. But their fun was quickly cut short by Noelia's sobs of pain after she stepped out onto the icy driveway, went skittering and landed on her hands and knees.

Rachel hadn't thought that it was possible for Santana to run any faster, but as she watched her rush to her sister's aid she couldn't help but liken her to some type of superhero. It was easily one of the cutest things she had ever seen. Who would have ever thought that Santana Lopez was one to sit in the middle of driveways and kiss away boo-boos on little hands?

"Is she alright?" Rachel asked with concern from the safety of the snow covered grass. Isabel was standing just beside her, having made it across the slippery cement without injury.

Noelia cried crocodile tears as Santana picked her up and pet her hair while walking towards the porch. "Just a little scrape on her hand, I think she'll live. I forgot to mention that she's a drama queen just like you too, Rachel!"

The petite brunette could only return the smile Santana was giving her as she disappeared through the front door, with Noelia wailing into her shoulder, "I need a band-aid!"

"She's such a baby…" Isabel suddenly announced to Rachel after the door thumped close. She plopped down into the snow and began making snowballs, which she then threw and watched disappear through the undisturbed surface of white. It was difficult to read her emotions, but it didn't seem as if she was angry or upset, just working at her own entertainment with a soft smile.

Rachel sat down beside her, made a snowball and then handed it over for the little girl to toss. "You shouldn't say that about your sister, she got hurt," she said as she nudged her shoulder playfully.

Smiling shyly, Isabel replied, "No, not her…I mean Santí."

"Santana is a baby?" Rachel laughed disbelievingly, still forming snowballs. She wasn't sure where the conversation was headed.

"Yeah…" Isabel answered, her voice getting softer. "Noelia will be okay, but Santí won't. She'll be sad and mad that one of us got hurt, she gets too upset. I don't know why though…we're always okay."

With never having had a sibling before, Rachel was unsure of what to say. Thought it did not matter because Isabel continued on. "Maybe she's afraid papí will get mad at her if we get hurt…"

An emotion that she could not place was rushing through Rachel. She knew sometimes she could be selfish and unaware of the people around her, but it never occurred to her that the people who normally liked to torment her at school might have demons of their own. It became clear to her that Santana was one of those people.

"Why would he be mad?" Rachel questioned, hesitation in her voice. By glancing sideways from the corner of her eye she tried to study the small, mysterious individual beside her. But masking emotions seemed to run in the family because she still couldn't see any.

"He yelled at her before, when Noelia fell down the stairs…"

_"Santana, what is going on in that house when I'm not home!" Dr. Lopez demanded to know as he peeled off his light blue surgical gloves. He had just finished placing three stitches in the side of Noelia's scalp, a task he had certainly not been expecting during his shift._

_ "I told you it was an accident," Santana mumbled. She was sitting in the chair of the ER room they occupied, holding Isabel on her lap. "We were just playing hide and seek and she slipped on the hardwood…"_

_ "She fell down the damn stairs, Santana! She didn't just slip on anything!" Dr. Lopez reiterated, his voice beginning to rise in anger over the whole situation and the interruption to his schedule. "You can't just have them running around the house, they're not as old as you, you need to start thinking about these things!"_

_ Santana swiftly lifted her head, her eyes pleading for him to understand. "I do! I just – I said I was sorry! You act like I pushed her down the stairs!"_

_ "You might as well have because you certainly weren't watching her! And sorry doesn't mean that you're going to be careful. They're your little sisters and you're supposed to take care of them!"_

_ Dr. Lopez was discarding the used needle and anesthetic syringe in the biohazard container on the wall and it prevented him from seeing the way Santana's bottom lip trembled before she caught it with her teeth._

_ "I'm trying to –" she began in a whisper, only to be interrupted._

_ "You know what! I have to get back to my patients, I don't have time for all of this, Santana." Dr. Lopez announced and then began writing something into a chart on the countertop. He didn't even look up when Santana stood and picked up Noelia from the exam table._

_ "Fine, we're going. Come on, Is."_

_ The little girl looked between her father and her older sister, confused over what she was supposed to do. But when Santana put out her hand and snapped, "Come on!" she quickly followed._

_ The nurses in the lobby tried to look busy, while Santana walked out with guilty tears in her eyes._

"…so maybe that's why she gets sad."

Rachel was appalled at what Isabel had told her and her heart was suddenly breaking for Santana. Sure it had been a child's version of what had happened, but she was sure that there couldn't have been a more fitting source for the truth. She was still lost in thought when the young girl beside her brought her back to reality.

"Do you think you could make sure she doesn't get too upset today, Rachel?" Isabel asked quietly, looking up at her with trusting, innocent eyes.

Flashing one of her winning smiles that was sure to cheer anyone up, she wrapped her arm around Isabel's shoulders. "I'll try my best, okay?

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Putting on a band-aid had never been so hard for Santana before and it had certainly never been as painful for Noelia.

"You're not helping! Ow!" Noelia howled as Santana winced and peeled the neon pink band-aid up again, trying to reposition it. Her hands had been shaking so badly while try to open the wrapper that by the time she tried to place it on Noelia's palm she had completely missed the scrape.

"Shh, shh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I promise!" Santana assured as she finally got it in the correct area. "I'm just nervous…"

Without even realizing what she had said, Santana gathered up the scraps of the wrapper and tossed them in the trashcan, leaving Noelia sitting on the bathroom counter. The little girl watched her older sister curiously, trying to understand what she had said and why she was acting so strangely.

"Why are you nervous?" Noelia asked, now studying her band-aid and already beginning to play with the edges.

Santana arched a brow, before realizing that instead of thinking to herself she had vented her anxiety to her sister. She didn't think the day could get any worse. First, a blowout with her father, then an odd confrontation/confessional with Rachel, and now her sister knew that she was nervous because of it all. Sighing deeply, Santana went back to stand up against the countertop and hug Noelia against her chest. "Just promise me you'll be good today, alright?" It was something that she should have been asking herself to promise.

"Why?" came the typical reply.

Santana dropped her face into her sister's silky hair and mumbled, "Because…Rachel thinks that I'm not a very nice person and I just…" She paused and tried to figure out what she was trying to tell her sister, and more importantly, what she was trying to tell herself. "I guess I just want her to know I'm not that bad and that I can take care of you guys."

"Why would she think you're bad?"

A lot of the time Santana wanted to kick herself for leading the double life that she did. But she would continue to punish herself before she ever let her little sisters find out about how terrible she acted at school. "I don't know…" she lied, "just promise you'll be good and that you'll help me be nice today too, okay?"

Santana was holding on so tightly that Noelia had to wrestle her head away from her chest to look up at her. It was hard for her to comprehend why Santana was asking her to do something that seemed automatic, but Santana was an idol in her young eyes and she was willing to do just about anything that a six year old could imagine to help her.

"I promise!" she grinned happily.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Just as Rachel was helping Isabel remove her outdoor wear and admiring the irony of quickly befriending the shy and reserved Isabel before Noelia, the latter came tearing into the room, yelling her twin's name.

"Is! Is! I got something for you!" she announced, holding the small item above her head as she ran up to Rachel and Isabel. "It's a band-aid! A pink one, you're favorite color!"

The two shared a smile that conveyed a silent 'thank you' and 'you're welcome,' and then Isabel turned her attention to Rachel again. "Can you put it on for me?"

"But why would you need it? You haven't sustained any injuries" the brunette asked with some confusion.

"Twins, Rachel, if one has it the other one has to have it too…" Santana clarified as she walked into the room. As soon as the older girls' eyes met after Rachel looked over her shoulder they both looked away, trying to suppress shy smiles. The awkwardness wasn't as bad as it should have been, but it was definitely still there.

"I suppose that makes sense," Rachel said as she opened the band-aid and stuck it to Isabel's unscathed palm, making sure it looked just the same as Noelia's. "But sometimes I'd have to disagree with the notion of having twins match. I believe it stunts their sense of self and disallows them to cope with the realities of the world as a single individual."

Santana bit her bottom lip as if she was considering what had been said, and then she nodded. "Right, well, I don't know how all of that works, but I do know that I'm going to have to ask you to stop being so wordy. When you're around kids you can't cuss and you can't use words that cause them to ask me a million times what they mean."

"No cussing, huh?" Rachel teased, giving Santana a purposeful glance.

Shrugging, Santana smirked. "Well, at least try not to."

"At least being verbose provides them with the beginnings of a strong vocabulary. It's an essential part of a child's development."

"Try telling that to them," Santana said as she jerked her thumb towards the twins, who were finishing putting their gloves and hats away. "They're bilingual and I'm pretty sure they've got you beat."

Rachel seemed slightly offended at what was being implied. "I'll have you know that I've been in Mr. Schuester's Spanish classes for the past year and a half!"

Santana waved her hand in dismissal and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, they've been doing it since they could talk."

As if they had taken a silent cue from their older sister, Isabel and Noelia lapsed into Spanish and just as Santana had suggested, Rachel could hardly understand a word of it. They spoke too swiftly and fluently for her to keep up – not that she wanted to admit it though – and the only word she could recognize was her own name.

"Fine, what did they say?" Rachel asked with some aggravation and Santana gave her a smug look, while replying, "They said Rachel talks too much…ha, just kidding, they actually said something about food algae…"

The Latina's face remained unfazed for a few moments, but then her face contorted in confusion. "But what the hell is food algae? You didn't teach them some creepy junk while I was asleep, did you?"

"You just swore and no, I resent that accusation!"

"Then what's food algae!"

Noelia sighed, then trudged over to Santana and tucked her head into her waist tiredly. "Rachel said she couldn't feed us anything for lunch because she didn't know if we had food algae."

"Do we have some?" Isabel asked, mirroring her twin's position. Santana cupped her hands around their faces, affectionately smoothing them over their pink, wind burned cheeks.

"Oh, food allergies!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she finally decoded the twins' misunderstanding. "Yes, we discussed that, but they weren't sure and I wasn't sure, so I just didn't feed them anything."

Santana broke into peals of laughter and the twins joined in with giggles of their own. "Great babysitting skills, Rachel! Come on, let's get you two something to eat."

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Rachel retaliated in her defense. "I would call it thorough babysitting skills! And for the record, Noelia already told me to stop talking so much!"

"High five for that one, chica!" Santana laughed and then held out her hand, which was met with a sharp slap.

* * *

**I debated added another section to this chapter because I was excited to give you more scenes between S & R, but I thought it might be too long. Do you guys like really long chapters or would you rather have them stay this length? Anyway, because I shortened it, there's a good chance I will be updating again before the weekend ends. Hope you all enjoyed it and thanks for reading! **

**Also, as a side note, the scene between Rachel and the twins where they tie her up was somewhat inspired by an episode of I Love Lucy. Lucy ironically babysits twins and they do that to her, so I thought that fit perfectly here as well! :)**


	7. Following Instructions

**AN: Well, it's technically Monday now, but let's just say it's still the weekend and this is the update I hinted at! I normally reply to all of my reviews personally but I didn't for this past chapter, so I'm hoping that the 100% heavy Pezberry content of this next chapter will make it up to all of my faithful reviewers! It's also a little longer too! Again, thank you for all the alerts, favorites, and reviews, I truly do appreciate all of your kind words, praise, compliments, and suggestions that you leave for me! :) You all are a very generous fandom! Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and I'm running out of clever things to say for this line.**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Following Instructions

The sun was just beginning to set on a day that had been both unique and unexpected for all participants. The house was quiet. Noelia and Isabel had already crashed from their hours of play and had been hauled up to their room by Santana, who now sat on the living room floor with Rachel in front of the automatic fireplace.

Santana was fully lying on the floor, her spine and neck both stiff with nerves as she stared at the ceiling, trying to appear nonchalant. Without her young sisters around to be her constant ice breaker she didn't know what to do with herself. This was not like being at school, where she had her high ponytail, the invisible force field of her cheerleading uniform, and a slew of insults to top it off. This was she and Rachel sitting in her house and actually being civil. There was no other option, she couldn't write off the small brunette and give her the usual treatment after all she had done for her and she didn't want to anyway. But what was she supposed to do now?

"I guess I should think about heading home," Rachel said softly, sitting cross legged while smoothing her palms over her jeans. The wet patches that had been created from running through the snow had finally dried out. Anxiety had been prickling at her as well, but she never would have guessed that the girl lying beside her was trying not to bite her inner lip and pick at her nails because she was so nervous.

Quickly sitting straight up, Santana spoke before she could even stop herself. "You don't have to." It was a Freudian slip she supposed.

Rachel turned her attention to the window and it was just long enough of a hesitation for Santana's deeply buried insecurities to surface. "I don't know why I said that," she stated honestly, but for all the wrong reasons. "You've been here all day and you probably have stuff to do at home. Sorry, you can leave."

"You didn't even give me an opportunity to answer," Rachel said with a smile. She then reached over and gave Santana's leg a playful smack, causing the girl's stomach to turn over in knots. "I was going to say that I guess I could stay longer. It's still snowing quite heavily and I suppose it would be better to wait for it to cease than drive in such low visibility conditions."

If she had been in a normal state of mind Santana would have noticed that Rachel's increased rambling was a sign of her mutual feeling of being lost in their current situation. Neither one knew what to do or say next, while at the same time being oblivious to the other's nervousness.

"Oh…right." Santana knew that she sounded uncharacteristically lame, but she just couldn't find the words to use during this type of exchange and that was even more unnerving. "You probably wouldn't like want to drive…in like…all that snow or whatever."

Rachel bobbed her head up and down more than was necessary. "Right…"

An awkward silence settled over the two girls and each one flitted their eyes around the room, searching for anything that might spark a topic of conversation, while at the same time avoiding looking at one another.

"Soo…" Santana eventually began, feeling it was her duty to speak first because she was essentially the hostess. "What did you and the girls do this afternoon anyway?"

Rachel laughed uneasily, not even knowing where to begin. "Well, first we played cowboys and Indians or in other words…they tied me to a chair with jump ropes and pretended to cook and eat me. Oh, but don't worry, they used their very best table manners."

Santana gave a genuinely amused laugh and wrapped her arms around her raised knees. "Did they eat your brain? I always tell them I going to eat their brains."

"Oh, so you taught them that awful game. Yes, that's very funny, Santana. Just what six year olds should learn – to eat brains!"

"Yeah, yeah, so what else did you do? Or did they keep you tied to that chair too long to do anything else?"

Making an unreadable expression, Rachel shook her head. "Oh, no, we also played with Barbies…"

At this admission Santana's face fell and she seemed a bit fearful. "Oh God, please tell me they didn't…"

"Oh, they did," Rachel said matter-of-factly, brandishing her index finger for emphasis. "They introduced me to and I quote, 'Santana the lesbium Barbie,' and her gang of misguided acquaintances, whom she made out with in the hot tub before driving off into the Malibu sunset in her convertible."

"Hey, Barbie Santana gots ta get her mack on too!" Santana laughed, causing Rachel to drop her seriousness and join in with her. "So what if I get a little vivid sometimes."

As Santana lied back down again some of her nervous energy faded and she realized that being with Rachel truly wasn't that bad. Sure she liked to talk a lot, but it wasn't like in Glee club when all she wanted to do was talk about herself and her star quality voice. She was actually sort of funny and laid back in this setting.

"Well, in any case, they're very good kids," Rachel added, stating nothing but her honest opinion.

"Thanks," Santana mumbled, "I just wish I could give them something better…"

Rachel lied down on her side beside her seemly new found friend and propped her head up in her hand. She was trying to look at Santana, but she was preoccupied with staring up at nothing. "What could be better than having you as their older sister? It's obvious that they love you very much."

After inhaling deeply, the Latina closed her eyes as if she were thinking. Then she spoke once again, because really, what did she have to lose? "Every year Isabel tells me that all she wants for Christmas if for her mom to come back and I wish I could give her that. I wish that instead of having me, they could have their parents back."

"Don't say that!" Rachel suddenly interjected, her tone sounding somewhat fierce and anguished. She sat back up after just having laid down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It would be better for them," Santana stated without bothering to open her eyes and see the effect her words were having on the petite brunette beside her. "They should have parents to look up to, not a slutty bitch of a sister."

"Be quiet, Santana!" Rachel finally snapped. "Just shut up!"

The taller brunette pushed herself onto her elbows with narrowed, questioning eyes. "What the hell is your problem? I'll say whatever I want."

"I just wish you would realize _what_ you're saying! Maybe your mom isn't here anymore, but at least when you had her she loved you and cared for you and _wanted _you. And wanting to replace yourself with her wouldn't do your sisters any good, they love you and it's apparent that you mean the world to them! They don't think anything bad of you!"

Rachel knew she had gone way too far, way too fast and she was completely ready for Santana to kick her out into the inclement weather without a care. The Latina's brown eyes darkened for a moment and Rachel was sure she was about to unleash a tirade on her. Instead she just coolly said, "I was going to ask you how you would even understand, but I guess you would know a thing or two about losing someone too, wouldn't you?"

"Just a little…" the tone of Rachel's voice was just as cool and subdued.

"Sorry…" Santana said with a stubborn eye roll. "I didn't mean to like, start a fight or anything."

Looking away, Rachel nodded her understanding. "It's fine…I just hope you know how lucky you are to have those two."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I know," Santana tried to say evenly and without the rush of attitude and emotion she was feeling. "They're my whole fucking world," she then whispered, turning away so the mistiness gathering beneath her eyelids wasn't visible to Rachel. Having someone doubt her appreciation for her sisters stung her like nothing else could, not even her father's harsh words. "You just don't understand how scary it is to have to wonder if they'll end up failures like me…parentless, worthless bitches who can't do anything besides toss pom-poms and be warm bodies for some guy to fuck."

Rachel was in shock, everything that was happening kept catching her off guard. She knew it was normal for everyone to have their own insecurities, but was this really what Santana thought of herself? The same Santana who strutted through the school hallways like she was a higher being, who wasn't afraid to tell anyone just how sexy she was, and who could tear everyone else down with razor sharp insults. It just couldn't be – but apparently it was.

"That's not what you are, Santana," Rachel replied quietly, going straight to the root of what the girl was saying. For the second time that day, she found herself moving closer to Santana instead of away and placing a hand over her shoulder. "You're not a failure, or a slut, or a bitch, or anything like that…you're talented, you have a gorgeous voice, you're smart, you take care of your sisters and believe me, there are people who want you for more than just sex."

By the time Rachel was finished with her speech Santana was crying again, she could tell by the way her body shuddered as she continued to rub her back. She might not have meant to say everything she had, but it was the truth and what Santana needed was exactly that.

"God, why are you being so nice to me, Rachel," Santana sniffled, wiping the back of her hand under her eyes. "I don't deserve any of this."

For maybe the very first time in her life, Rachel Berry was at a loss for words. She felt like she knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn't at all sure if it was the correct time or if it was even something Santana would want to hear – ever.

Swallowing the apprehension clogging her throat, Rachel finally admitted, "Because it's the truth and maybe you don't want to hear this from me, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I know it's the truth because I'm one of those people who want you for more than that…I like you for who you are even if that sometimes gets lost behind the walls you put up. _I_ want you for who you are and you do deserve it."

"What are you trying to say?" Santana asked softly, keeping her eyes off of Rachel as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

After straightening her posture to bring herself to her full not so imposing height, Rachel cleared her throat and said, "I like you…I have for a while, but how was I ever supposed to tell you? You normally hate me, but I don't care. When I see you in Glee, you're singing and dancing and you just look so happy, and that makes me happy too. So, I like you, Santana…I like you a lot."

Santana's face was completely emotionless as it lifted and Rachel didn't know whether to read it as anger or surprise, so she went with her instincts.

"Omigosh, Santana, if you're going to kill me, _please_ just make it quick!"

"_Jesus_…" Santana breathed out and ran her hand through her hair.

Her lack of communication was causing Rachel to nearly go mentally insane. "What? Are you mad! I'll leave if you want and we can forget everything I ever said!"

"I've never had anybody say anything like that to me before…"

"How? How is that even possible!" The small brunette could hardly believe what she had heard. A sudden rush of adrenaline and renewed anxiety washed over her at the notion that she had unknowingly told Santana something she had never heard before, and there was only one way for it to be released – through a stream of nonsensical chatter. "You're…you're…you're you! You're Santana Lopez! A hot and lusted after top cheerleader who can send her peers running with a single glance! You could bring the entire football team to its knees! You're –"

"You're kind of ruining this moment with all that talk," Santana interrupted with a light, shy giggle. Rachel, surprisingly just being Rachel had once again dried up her tears and brought her back to smiling.

"We're having a moment?" Rachel whispered, as if speaking too loud might be another disruption to said moment.

"Kind of…I told you no one had ever said that to be before."

"I'm sorry I ruined it, that was a horrible way to follow such a confession. I should have just –"

Santana focused Rachel's attention by reaching out and grabbing one of her hands. It shut her up and unbeknownst to the Latina it nearly made her throw up; the butterflies in her stomach were really getting out of hand.

"Are you ever going to let me talk?" Santana asked. Rachel nodded silently and motioned her hand for her to go on. "I like you too, Rachel. I mean I never really thought of you in any certain way before besides negatively. But I don't really dislike you…especially not after today."

"So…" Rachel hesitantly began, carefully watching her hand where gentle fingers were subconsciously brushing back and forth over her own. "You're not freaked out about what I told you?"

Santana couldn't hold back her smile, so she didn't and she put all of her perfect white teeth on display in a rare show of genuine happiness and affection. "I kind of liked it," she admitted, her smile turning to a giddy yet adorable grin. "It was sweet…thank you."

Rachel was close to melting. Having Santana stare into her with those smoldering brown eyes and that brilliant smile was like trying to stare into the sun, it dazzled and disorientated. "I've never seen you smile so much…" Rachel droned, a little awestruck and not able to comment on anything but what was looking her right in the face.

Santana's face flashed hurt and she broke their eye contact. "Oh, right, probably pretty surprising that the evil Santana knows how to smile…"

"Hey, that's not what I meant." Rachel swiftly tried to remedy the situation and gave Santana's hand a squeeze. She looked up again and her eyes showed something not quite identifiable, but what seemed like desperation and longing. "I meant that I like it. I like to see you smile, it's really pretty."

"No," Santana said with a huff of a doubting laugh and a nod of disagreement. She put her head down to look at their clasped hands, but it did nothing to hide her hot flush.

"Why don't you believe me?" asked Rachel, her voice sounding weak under the weight of the insecurities that she always felt when around the Latina.

Santana shrugged without any explanation and summoning all of her courage, Rachel reached forward and placed a hand on her cheek. "Well, I'm telling the truth," she said, her lip quirking at the corner. "But if you think I might be incorrect, we could test my opinion. Just smile for me once more."

With closed eyes and the sensation of warm fingertips on her skin, Santana raised her face and bared all of her teeth in a fake, forced grin that made her strong nose wrinkle cutely.

"Not like that!" Rachel burst with giggles. Her thumb traced over Santana's cheekbone in an urging manner, and in only a few moments the fake grimace had turned into a soft smile. "There we go. I knew I wasn't wrong."

Their faces were already close together when Santana reopened her eyes and she already knew what was going to happen. She could feel the anticipation humming in her veins. But for this time – this kiss – she didn't want to be the pursuer or the high school whore who went after anyone, she wanted someone to want her. So, after slowly licking her lips, she closed her eyes again and let herself be vulnerable.

Rachel's mouth met hers moments later and she almost jumped at the tenderness of it all. It was the most gentle, soft, and undemanding first kiss she had ever received. It wasn't pushing for anything more than she wanted to give and there were no fumbling hands getting ready to undress her. Rachel had only moved to slide her hand around the back of her neck, running her fingernails along her scalp and that was all. And it was perfect.

_Was _perfect. Giggles suddenly trickled down from the top of the stairwell and Santana jerked her head away so fast that Rachel's hand nearly tangled in her long hair.

"Hey!" she yelled up at the two small faces pressed between the banisters. "You better get back to your beds or I'm coming up there!"

"No! We're not going!" Noelia laughed. "You're going to do something bad with Rachel!"

"No, I'm not!" Santana nearly shrieked back and slammed her closed fist on the carpeting. "Now, go!"

The twins knew there was a safe distance between them and their sister, so they had no problem testing their limits. "You're going to make those funny noises like those girls in your movies on your laptop!" Isabel added, much to Santana's extreme shame and mortification.

"Oh my God! What did I tell you about going on my laptop!"

"Ahh, harder, harder!" Noelia shouted, before defiantly sticking her tongue out and smiling.

Rachel's jaw fell open and when she cautiously glanced over at Santana, the girl's face had darkened to the color of a tomato. And then, like a gun had been fired, Santana leapt from the ground and headed for the stairs, making the younger girls scream and scatter.

With eyes wide in shock over _everything_ that had just taken place, Rachel listened to the raucous sounds of feet running back and forth, doors slamming, snippets of Spanish, and Santana's screams of frustration from the floor above. What started as an awesome kiss had quickly turned into a scene closely resembling a circus. There was a series of crashes and bangs that set Rachel to wincing and then suddenly Santana appeared victoriously at the top of the stairs, dragging Noelia and Isabel by their upper arms.

"Alright, now say it!"

"No!" Noelia yelled back at her sister, still struggling to get free. Isabel seemed to have already had her fun, she just stood smiling widely, proud of her guilt and the uproar she had caused.

"Ahora, Noelia!" Santana yelled. Rachel knew the situation wasn't all that funny, but she couldn't help but find an angry, Spanish speaking Santana to be very, very sexy.

"Sorry!" Noelia spat stubbornly, twisting and squirming against the taller girl's side.

"Dicen que muy bien!"

"Sorry, Rachel," the twins glumly said in unison.

Giving them a slight wave from her place on the floor, the brunette called to them, "I forgive you, girls. Now why don't you behave for your sister and get in bed, okay?"

After eager nods, the young girls ran back to their room and slammed the door, once again leaving their older sister nervous and more than a little embarrassed.

"Of course they would listen to you," Santana said with an eye roll as she sat down again. She raised her knees and tiredly set her forehead on them. "Man, I'm sorry this day was such a disaster."

"It was actually surprisingly refreshing. I usually spend my Christmas breaks with my fathers around the house," Rachel admitted.

"Ha, refreshing for you, awful for me."

Rachel understood what Santana meant, but after that kiss she couldn't have thought that the whole thing was awful. But then again, maybe she did just because of that. It was a hard call.

"The whole thing was awful?"

"Maybe not the whole thing." Santana turned her head and looked out through one eye, making it known that she was smiling against her knees. Rachel smiled in return and then Santana got an idea that she didn't even realize would sound so incriminating. "Hey, do you maybe want to spend the night? It's still snowing and I cleaned my room while you were outside with the girls, it no longer resembles a crime scene."

Rachel bit her lip and hesitated, but the reason why was completely lost to Santana. All she was thinking about was how nice it had been to not spend the day alone with her sisters, she was surprisingly happy and her reputation from school hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Um, I guess I could," Rachel replied, still hesitant as she looked out the window again. "Let me just call my dads. I don't want them to worry."

With her happiness clouding her judgment, Santana grinned and got up off the floor. "Okay, I'm going to go check on the girls while you call."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Just a short while later, Santana was sitting on the side of her bed and fidgeting with the heart necklace that she hardly ever took off. She didn't know how she could have been so stupid as to ask Rachel to spend the night and then completely forget the fact that most people falsely regarded her as a slut. It was no wonder Rachel was taking so long in the bathroom, she probably thought she was going to be ravaged as soon as she walked out the door.

"Well, here's a sight you probably never thought you would see," Rachel announced as she eventually stepped out of the bathroom, clad in red Cheerios sweatpants and a grey WMHS athletics t-shirt. "I only had to roll the waistband three times to get them to the proper length."

Santana disregarded the joke and went straight to addressing what she thought was the elephant in the room. "You know, I was thinking about what I said earlier about you staying the night and I didn't realize it sounded so…_you know_. I mean, I don't like expect anything. I just didn't want you to have to drive in bad weather. I can sleep on the couch if you'd be more comfortable without me in here."

"Why, Santana, I think that may have been the most syllables I've ever heard come out of your mouth at one time!" Rachel laughed, seeming not at all fazed by what the other girl had said.

"Soo…you're not like worried about sleeping in the same bed with me? You're not worried that I might try to jump your bones and get all up in that while you're asleep?" Santana quizzed, eyeing Rachel with confusion. All the small brunette seemed to care about was admiring herself in her old cheerleading warm-ups. "Rachel, are you even listening to me!"

"Of course, Santana," Rachel replied nonchalantly as she looked around the Latina's room. "I just find it humorous that you think I would actually believe that you're going to try to bed me while your sisters are sleeping just down the hall. We hardly shared a kiss before they came and scolded us."

Santana had nearly forgotten about the kiss, she wasn't exactly sure how she could forget considering it had been nothing short of amazing and she felt her face heat up just at the mention of it. The interruption had happened without them being able to finish their kiss and question who they were in their small world compared to each other and why they were allowing something like that to happen. It had felt right at the time but now it just felt awkward.

"Umm…" Santana was trying to figure out what she was supposed to do in this situation. She wanted Rachel to know that she hadn't invited her to stay for sex, but at the same time that's all she knew how to handle. With Puck, Brittany, and – one time – Finn, they had done what they felt like doing and then went their separate ways. Anything beyond that was a foreign land to Santana and as Rachel made her way to the other side of her bed, she felt as if that land was exactly where they were headed.

"Um, what?" Rachel asked and pulled back the comforter. "Is this the side you usual sleep on or something?"

"No, I just…"

"Just, what?"

"Never mind, nothing," Santana said, a hint of attitude coming into her voice due to her frustration. She switched off her lamp and lied down on the bed, so close to the edge that with one wrong move she would end up on the floor. "Let's just go to sleep, I'm tired."

"Alright, that's fine. I'm quite fatigued as well. Goodnight, Santana."

"Goodnight…"

Santana laid stock still with arms pinned to her side like a stiff corpse. Rachel on the other hand was rolling around and sighing, readjusting the blankets and tossing her head around on her pillow trying to get comfortable.

"Rachel?"

The room went still again as the petite brunette simply answered, "Santana?"

The Latina bit her lip and tapped her fingers against her leg repetitively. "Did you like want to…" she swallowed her nerves and forced herself to say what she thought she was supposed to, "_cuddle_…or anything?"

Rachel felt her stomach boil with excitement, but Santana's tone threw her off. It sounded like she was asking the question like she was trying to blindly read an instruction manual that would guide her to the next step of a project. But unfortunately Rachel didn't know how to read the manual either. "Are we supposed to cuddle?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, I don't know either…but I do know that it is a standard practice for two people to engage in cuddling to show affection and I believe we were showing one another affection before Noelia and Isabel interrupted."

A million different thoughts were buzzing around Santana's head. _Doit! Don't do it, you don't cuddle! Does my hair smell good, will she be able to smell my perfume! Did I put enough lip balm on after I brushed my teeth! Omigod, what if we kiss again!_ "I guess you're right."

Rachel's mind was in the same state of disorganization; all of her ordered mental lists had run from their nonexistent pages. _Do it! Don't do it, she might change her mind and end up causing bodily harm! No, that won't happen, she's been sweet all day. What if she tries to hold my hand! Are my hands sweaty! Will she be able to feel how fast my heart is beating!_ "I suppose we could cuddle then."

"Okay…" Santana scooted into the middle of the bed inch by inch while Rachel did the same. Eventually their shoulders brushed and they both lied still again.

"I guess considering I'm the smaller of the two of us I should be the one to lay my head on your shoulder," Rachel whispered into the darkness.

Santana couldn't figure out her emotions, mostly because she usually didn't have any when it came to intimacy. She should have been excited at the fact that a gorgeous – yes, gorgeous – girl was in her bed and about to lay her head on her shoulder. She should have been a little more suave, but her natural charisma was failing her. "Yeah, whatever you want to do…I mean, yeah, that'd be good. You're head on my shoulder would be good."

When Rachel finally settled into the side of her body, Santana's hands were shaking so badly that she had to clutch the comforter for dear life.

"Is this okay?" the petite brunette asked softly, her lips so close to Santana's neck that she could feel every wisp of breath.

"It's fine," Santana assured and then working up all of her courage, she opened one of her hands and reached over to place it in the dip of Rachel's waist. As strange as it may have been, cuddling didn't seem so bad after all. It was actually quite pleasant to hold someone other than Noelia or Isabel. So pleasant in fact that the warm, comforting weight pressed to her side had her eyelids fluttering shut of their own volition.

"Rachel?" Santana whispered sleepily, as she kept her eyes closed and just focused on feeling.

"Hmm?" the small girl hummed against her neck and nestled a little closer. She had been falling asleep as well. After all, the day had been exhausting in more ways than one.

"Thanks for telling me I have a pretty smile…" Santana paused for a few moments and Rachel was sure she had fallen asleep, but after a while she finished in a tired, airy voice. "No one has ever told me that before."

"You're welcome, Santana."

That time she didn't respond and her even breathing indicated that she truly had fallen asleep. Carefully, so as not to wake her, Rachel lifted her head and smoothed her fingers over Santana's cheek, admiring a certain beauty that couldn't be seen in her wakefulness. Then, with even more careful movements, Rachel pressed a light kiss to her opposite cheek before falling asleep.

* * *

**;) Let me know what you think! Also, I was wondering if I could get your guys' input on a new story I'm thinking of posting...it would be Pezberry, but the complete opposite of this story, like heavy heavy angst, etc. Are you all into that or no?**


	8. Where's The Dislike Button?

**AN: So, a new record was set for the number of reviews per chapter for the last chapter! I think it was somewhere around 30, so thank you times 30! I love hearing everything you guys have to say and your suggestions. Reviews are my drug! This chapter has a good mix of everything I think, but I'll let you find out for yourselves, enjoy!**

**Just one more thing - the new story that I mentioned will be posted eventually, but I'm going to hold off to continue writing ahead with this story. Maybe once I have a majority of this written I'll start posting, I'll announce when that might be! Thanks for the support!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, if I did the Diva Off would've ended differently...as in, Santana would have definitely listened to Rachel's suggestion of "take me, baby!" *Cough* I may or may not be writing a one-shot about this *Cough***

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Chapter 8 – Where's The Dislike Button?

The next morning, Santana awoke with a small creature clinging to her back with its arm around her waist. It was nothing new, she was used to Noelia or Isabel or both sneaking into her bed during the middle of the night. Lacing her fingers with those of the limp hand lying on her stomach, she rolled over to see which of the twins had her face buried in the back of her neck. But the face she found was not either of the two she had been expecting and she nearly jumped out of her skin before remembering what had happened the previous day. Rachel was the one whose fingers she was now holding; it was her breath that had been so warm against her skin.

With some of the innocent ardor of the night before having cooled, Santana was really beginning to think that she had made a mistake. She didn't think that there could be anything more awkward than waking up in bed with a classmate that she had formerly despised, and said classmate was not even awake. But at the same time, Rachel looked super cute snuggled in her down bedding.

_What am I doing?_ she internally sighed, letting her eyes sweep appreciatively over Rachel's relaxed face. For being a lesbian and secret connoisseur of women, it had sure taken her long enough to notice how truly beautiful the petite brunette was.

Santana was just debating how creepy she might seem if Rachel were to wake and find her staring at her when she heard a sound that was unfortunately familiar – the slow creak of her door being pushed open. She had just enough time to lift her head before the twins attacked the bed in a fit of shrieks, causing Rachel to bolt forward and smash their foreheads together.

"Ow!" both of the older girls shouted in unison, while Noelia and Isabel jumped up and down on the mattress.

"Did you guys kiss all night!" Isabel asked while laughing and still bouncing.

"Kissing! Kissing! They were kissing!" Noelia sang in her own tune, as she pumped her small arms in the air.

Once Santana had finished rubbing her injured head, she lunged forward and pushed Isabel down, creating a chain reaction as she latched onto Noelia and brought her down to the mattress with her. "That was just great," Santana muttered under her breath and then turned to Rachel who was still covering her forehead, looking half asleep. "Sorry, are you alright?"

"Am I bleeding?" Rachel said wearily, her voice still raspy.

"No," Santana assured as she reached out to touch the girl's forehead without thinking, "But I think I'm going to have to get you a helmet if you're going to keep hanging around with us."

Neither really thought very hard about what the comment was implying about them hanging out. Rachel only smiled and nodded as she watched the twins get tangled amongst each other's limbs, wrestling around at the end of the bed. Santana smiled as well, not even realizing that her fingers were still comfortably weaved between Rachel's.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"We want chicken nuggets for breakfast!"

"Girl, you better check yourself," Santana said to Noelia with a bob of her head, as she and Rachel followed the twins into the kitchen. "You ain't about to be having chicken nuggets for breakfast. You's about to get your scrambled egg on."

Rachel grimaced as she listened to the slang talk that Santana seemed to love using so much. "Oh, Santana, you really should refrain from using terms such as those, they're not even real words."

It seemed that knocking their heads together had been good for them; it was almost like the awkwardness had been knocked right out. As the quartet tromped into the kitchen still clad in pajamas an easy playfulness had been adopted that neither of the two eldest brunettes would have expected.

Santana caught Rachel's eyes and gave her a smirk that could have held several different meanings. "Then refrain I shall," she said and then motioned towards a stool. "Now, please, have a seat with the other children." Santana was teasing her about her height. But it wasn't done in a cruel way, it was more endearing and it actually made her grin.

"I don't want scrambled eggs!" Isabel pouted. Her twin was right alongside her, trying to appear just as dejected and disappointed.

Santana heard the words as a sort of repetitive hum because she was too busy still smiling at her classmate. She opened the refrigerator door absentmindedly and Rachel smiled back in amusement, just waiting for the moment when the Latina would realize she was goofily staring at her.

The door finally opened far enough to hide Santana's face, but after a few seconds she shut the door again and set the carton of eggs she had fetched on the counter. "What are you going to eat!"

"I was waiting for you to remember," Rachel giggled. The idea that Santana had remembered secretly thrilled her.

Santana seemed perturbed as she opened two more cupboards and then let them quickly fall shut again. "No, seriously, like what can you eat?" she quizzed, sounding almost frantic. "I don't know how the whole vegan thing works!"

"What's that!" Isabel asked with a smile. Her attitude over not wanting scrambled eggs had been easily transformed into curiosity over the new word that their guest had introduced.

"I know what it is!" Noelia announced proudly. "Santí isn't a virgin, I heard her telling Brittany one time in her room. But Rachel is a virgin! Right, Rachel!"

Santana threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Girls, it's _vegan _not virgin…two totally different things!" Then she made eye contact with Rachel, but swiftly looked away again as a blush started warming her cheeks. While turning around she said, "And, Rachel, please don't feel like you have to answer that question."

"I don't feel like I have to…" the petite brunette hesitated. "But it's a yes to both definitions."

The egg that Santana had been attempting to crack into a bowl smashed between her fingers. She was just glad that her body was blocking Rachel from seeing her snotty yolk and shell covered hand. _Damnit_ she internally growled at herself as she shook her fingers off, letting the glob fall into the bowl. _Why did she have to go and tell me that! Why would I care! But…she's a virgin, that's kind of cute. I wonder if she has ever – no, no, no! _

"Can I be a virgin?" Isabel asked innocently, apparently the differentiation between vegan and virgin having gone right over her head.

"No, Noelia, you can't be a vegan," Rachel told her. "But you can be a virgin…you can be a virgin for the rest of your life or at least until Santana and I die."

"I'm Isabel!"

"I don't want you to die!" Noelia shouted, her voice sounding panicked and frightened, something so unlike her usual carefree tone. "Mami died, I don't want you to die!"

The kitchen was suddenly in an uproar. Santana was still trying to wash her hands, Isabel was angry about her name, Noelia was beginning to cry, and Rachel looked guilty and upset that she had caused it all.

After quickly drying her hands, Santana picked up Noelia from her chair and shushed her gently. "No one is dying, baby, Rachel was just joking. It's okay."

"I'm sorry…" Rachel mouthed to Santana as their eyes met over Noelia's dark hair.

"It's okay…" she mouthed back, nodding her head in understanding and reassurance. "I have an idea," she then announced. "How about just for today we'll be vegans."

The twins approved and soon all four of the girls were sitting at the counter, eating fruit salad and orange juice. Santana and Rachel were separated by the younger girls sitting between them, but each time one of them glanced up from spearing strawberries or slices of bananas their eyes connected and then rapidly darted away.

"I like this!" Noelia stated happily as she ate her breakfast.

"I'm glad you do!" Santana said back just as cheerfully. She leaned over and gently grasped her sister's chin to place a kiss on her cheek. Noelia then fed her a blueberry from her fingers, making Santana snap her teeth as if she would playfully bite her.

_Who is this person! She's entirely different,_ Rachel thought as she watched the interaction. Maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised to see this side of Santana. It was obvious that it was easier for her to be charming and kind, than it was for her to be charming and cruel when they were in classes. The real Santana was easy to get used to, but it was still bizarre to witness.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"But Rachel, we don't want you to go! Can't you stay forever! You don't have school 'cause of Christmas anyway!" Noelia pouted, from where she was currently sitting on Rachel's foot, with her arms securely looped around her leg. Isabel was watching from afar as her new friend put her coat on, preparing to leave.

"Noelia, come on," Santana urged, prying her sister's hands away. "Just give her a hug and let go."

The little girl shrugged her older sister away with a glare and then turned to Rachel with a smile, before hugging her around the waist. "Will you come over again?"

"We'll see about –"

"I want you to come back! That way you can learn our names right!"

Rachel laughed and patted the girl's head; it was sort of fun having someone be shorter than her for a change. "Well, like I was going to say, we'll see what happens." She then motioned for Isabel to come forward. "Don't I get a hug from you!"

Isabel beamed and rushed over to Rachel, letting her wrap her up in a hug. Ever since their moment of bonding in the snowy yard, Isabel had been smiling at Rachel non-stop; Santana wasn't the only one who had inherited the flirtatious gene.

"You made her happy," Isabel whispered against Rachel's hair as she nestled in close to her.

Santana didn't notice the quiet comment, but it sent a shiver of excitement through Rachel. Even if she didn't exactly know how Santana felt about her, at least she knew that her little sisters approved.

"I'm glad," Rachel replied, giving the girl one final squeeze that conveyed a silent thank you. Without actually knowing it, the twins had brought her and Santana closer than it ever would have been possible through school or Glee. "Now, I'm afraid I have to go," she said standing up and training her gaze on the eldest Latina. "Santana, care to walk me out?"

"What?" Santana asked in confusion. She had been distracted by how cute Rachel looked with the twins and it was causing her mind to wander into unexpected scenarios. "Oh, walk you out, right…yeah, I'll do that."

Rachel headed out the door after a wave to the twins and as Santana followed her out she shook her index finger at them warningly. She didn't need any more spying or eavesdropping.

"Well, I guess I know they want me to come back," Rachel laughed as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets. "Now…I just have to know if the big sister wants me to come back."

"Um…" Santana hesitated, while looking off into the distance over the other girl's shoulder. She didn't want to get caught looking into those brown eyes because as of late they were causing strange reactions in her. "I guess that could be cool."

Rachel dropped her head, trying to hide some of her disappointment over Santana's sudden standoffish attitude. "No one is forcing anything, I just thought that maybe…you know, after last night…"

"I know what you mean," Santana quickly interrupted, cutting off anything else that was going to be said. She didn't really want to have this discussion on her front porch; she actually just didn't want to have the conversation at all. She wasn't used to anything like dating or an actual relationship and while feeling so right, it just seemed so wrong for her to want Rachel.

"Alright…I guess…I should go then," Rachel said slowly, trying to drag out the words and give Santana an opportunity to interrupt her again. Hopefully with something that showed a little more enthusiasm or even just interest.

Santana knew what she wanted to do, but she was scared to do it. She wasn't good at reading subtle, coy signs. Usually when someone wanted her it was easy to tell what they were after – lewd gestures and horribly crude words whispered in her ear were not hard to understand. But having to read Rachel and interpret what she wanted was something else entirely. "Okay, bye," she said without emotion, opting to cross her arms over her chest in favor of anything else.

Rachel's eyes dimmed with what only could have been described as a mixture of anger and hurt. She gave a nod and forced a smile, she thought she would have at least gotten a hug after the time they had spent together. "Bye, then…" she whispered, before making her way down the porch steps.

Guilt made her stomach clench and Santana knew she had made the wrong decision. She immediately wanted to yell for Rachel to come back or to sprint after her, catch her around the waist and just kiss her. But just like that night after rehearsals in the choir room, she was too absorbed in her own fear to act on her feelings. Rejection was not something she felt she could handle from anyone, but especially not Rachel, not when she was battling her sudden desires for her. What if spending the night with her and her sisters had shown Rachel that she had made a mistake in taking an interest in someone so unstable? What if she had really only kissed her because she felt bad?

Santana couldn't decide which of her negative thoughts to believe, so she simply watched as Rachel got into her car and left. And as she watched her go, she could feel some of the lightness and happiness that had been mounting within her go too.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After the twins had gotten over their disappointment at Rachel's departure, the Lopez girls had decided on coloring as their source of entertainment. Noelia and Isabel lied on the stately table in the dining room with a colorful assortment of crayons spread around them and their paper. Santana sat in a chair at the head of the table with her feet propped up on its surface. She was holding her own paper in her lap over a magazine, but she wasn't doing much coloring. Zoning out would have been the most appropriate term.

"Why aren't you coloring, Santí?" Isabel questioned, not bothering to look up from whatever illustrations she was working on.

Santana scowled down at the black crayon that had been poised over her sheet of paper for several minutes without actually making a mark. "I don't know."

"She's mad 'cause Rachel left," Noelia interjected as she scribbled furiously with a broken crayon. Her only artistic feat of the day had been attempting to color an entire sheet of paper solid blue.

"No, I'm not!" Santana snapped back a little too quickly. The comment frustrated her even more because it was exactly correct. Only she wasn't mad that Rachel had left, she was mad at herself for letting her leave without at least hinting at how she felt about her.

Noelia just continued on with her scribbling and muttered, "Told ya she was mad."

"Can I ask you something, Santí?" Isabel quizzed again. This time she lifted her head to actually look at her older sister.

"I guess…" Santana grumbled, glaring at her paper as she began to draw block letters that formed her name.

"Is Rachel gonna be your girlfriend?"

Santana instantly ceased the movements of her hand and her eyebrows came together as she looked up slowly; she didn't exactly like the turn the conversation had taken. "Why would you think that?"

"Because…"

"Because why?" Santana nearly growled as her sister decided to play coy.

"Because I think she would be a good one for you," Isabel stated with a shrug of her small shoulders and then went on. "Because she's pretty, and she has brown eyes like you, and brown hair, and she's little and you're bigger…"

The innocence of her young sister's reasoning was too much for Santana to resist, and soon she couldn't hold back her soft smile. Maybe she needed someone else's view to realize that liking Rachel was okay. If her sisters could see the reasons why Rachel was amazing and liked the idea of Rachel being with her, then maybe she could accept it too. "Anything else?" she asked lightly.

"And you smile a lot when she's by you…even when I can tell that you don't want to smile." Isabel returned the grin that Santana was wearing once she was finished speaking and in that moment – even though they were only six years old – Santana knew that her sisters could see right through her. They knew when she was upset or angry, and now that they knew what made her happy they weren't going to let that get away.

"She is pretty cool, isn't she?" Santana sighed.

Isabel nodded silently and Noelia shouted, "Yep!" Then they all went back to their crayons and paper, and Santana felt a little more confident in her ability to get Rachel.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Three days into Christmas break, Santana was infinitely bored and still very much confused about a variety of things. She and Rachel hadn't spoken since the incident on the front porch and she didn't know if the complete separation was helping her to focus her thoughts or if it was heightening her fears.

Facebook had been her only social connection to her peers and as she sat in her bed alone, with the television sending a glow throughout her dark room, she couldn't help but feel like a complete loser. She continued to grow more depressed as she read through her classmates' statuses.

**Noah Puckerman**

No school for 2 ½ wks! Its party time bitches, hit me up!

Saturday at 12:47am ° Like ° Comment

**Finn Hudson, Sam Evans,** and **3 others** like this.

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**Rachel Berry**

I'll be out for a time to enjoy the classic dinner and a movie with my daddies! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday break thus far! Just don't forget that when we get back to school we'll be hard at work on our Regionals numbers!

3 hours ago ° Like ° Comment

**Mercedes Jones **Dislike…

**Quinn Fabray **Double dislike!

**Finn Hudson **We're supposed to be having a BREAK, Rach! Don't remind us! :P

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**Quinn Fabray**

Out with some of my favorite Cheerios! Call/txt 3

48 minutes ago ° Like ° Comment

**Brittany S. Pierce** likes this.

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**Tina Cohen-Chang**

Going out with Mike…wherever we're going I'm sure it will be Asian inspired…again. -_-

36 minutes ago ° Like ° Comment

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**Mike Chang**

About to pick up Tina to take her to her favorite Chinese restaurant! Shh, it's a surprise! :D

13 minutes ago ° Like ° Comment

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**Kurt Hummel**

Miss Mercedes Jones and I are about to indulge in a session of luxurious oxygen facials and mani/pedis. If you would like to attend…too bad. This event is exclusive and invitation only.

11 minutes ago ° Like ° Comment

**Mercedes Jones **Me and my man Kurt are about to get fancy!

**Kurt Hummel **At the risk of sounding cliché, that's right, girlfriend!

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**Brittany S. Pierce**

Hanging out with Captain Q and the Cheerios, then going to the mall tomorrow with Artie! Ahh, so excited!

6 minutes ago ° Like ° Comment

**Artie Abrams **I'm glad you're looking forward to our date tomorrow, Britt! So am I!

**Brittany S. Pierce **I'm only excited because someone told me that a family of ducks started living in the fountain by the food court! :)

* * *

Dislike to all of them. Santana closed her laptop, set it beside her and slumped back against her pillows. The twins were asleep in their beds and her own bed seemed so empty without them – or another small brunette she knew – curled up beside her.

Even that certain someone, who was a total outcast at school was doing something that didn't involve sitting home alone, wallowing in self pity. Maybe it was only going out with her fathers, but it was more than Santana could say for herself. At the moment, she wasn't even sure where her father was, but she figured it was one of two locations – the hospital or the bar. He hadn't spent much time at home aside from sleeping since the fight.

With a huff, Santana rolled over onto her side and pulled a pillow into her chest. If she didn't have anything to do she might as well catch up on the sleep she usually didn't get during her regular school and Cheerios schedule. Plus, if she was asleep she couldn't keep beating herself up about her missed chance with Rachel and why she kept obsessing over it.

Just as she was entering the point of light sleep, her cell phone began buzzing beneath the pillow under her head. Santana grumbled to herself and fished the device out, clicking the line open and pressing it to her cheek. "What!"

"Santana?"

The Latina pulled her cell phone away from her face and squinted at the screen, but her eyes were too bleary from sleep to make out the words. "Rachel?" she tested.

"Yes, it's Rachel…"

"Oh, sorry…" Santana mumbled sheepishly, rolling herself onto her back and clearing her throat. She hoped she didn't sound as jumpy as she suddenly felt. "I don't usually answer like that, I was just falling asleep."

"Oh! I apologize, Santana!" Rachel hurriedly said. "I can let you go if you want. I just figured you would still be awake."

Santana glanced over at her iHome alarm clock – 9:02 pm. She was definitely a loser, but she was a secretly excited loser due to the phone call. "No!" she almost shouted into her cell phone. "I mean, no, it's okay! I was just falling asleep because I was bored or whatever."

"I see," Rachel said evenly, not revealing any emotion in her tone. The exact reason as to why she had decided to call Santana was still eluding her. Santana's chilliness when she left had knocked down her confidence and made her wary of all that she had confessed. But at the same time, she felt as if maybe Santana just needed a gentle push to urge her forward, she was probably suffering from the same uncertain feeling. "Well, I thought I would just see what you were up to this evening, I'm sort of bored too. My dads and I went out to dinner earlier, but now they're watching some atrocious horror movie."

"I thought you were going to the movie with them?" Santana asked and then wanted to slap herself for saying anything. Now Rachel would know that she had been sitting on Facebook, perusing her profile.

"How did you know that?" Rachel asked back hesitantly.

"Um…" Santana tried to think of something more appropriate to say, but there was nothing to do but tell the truth. It was obvious that she wasn't a mind reader and the whole sixth sense was Rachel's thing. She couldn't beat the petite brunette at her own game. "I…I saw it on Facebook."

Surprisingly, Rachel chuckled good naturedly and didn't make fun of her. "So that's how you knew! Yes, I tend to use Facebook when I find myself with more free time than usual too. And to answer your question, I _was_ going to go to the movie but I find horror movies to be just horrible as the name states. I'd much rather occupy my time with other activities."

"Well, then I'm glad I didn't invite you to go see it with me," Santana teased. She hadn't thought out what she was going to say and when Rachel paused uncomfortably, she swiftly added, "I was just kidding."

"I know…" Rachel replied softly and then the line went quiet again.

Santana was picking at her nails in the darkness and waiting for the conversation to pick up. But the longer it didn't, the more nervous she grew. And soon she was letting her fears get the best of her once more and spewing the only thing she could think to say. "You know, the kissing and everything that happened the other night…it doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to…I'm not really into that committed relationship junk anyway."

_Please don't listen to me, please tell me I'm wrong,_ Santana's mind screamed, hoping that the person on the other end of the line could somehow hear it.

Rachel sighed and after a few more moments of silence, asked, "Would _you_ like for it to mean something?"

_Yes! I would give anything to be with someone like you! _"I just told you I –"

"Yes, I realize what you quickly tacked onto your original statement, but I'm ignoring that," Rachel interrupted. A spark of attitude had come into her voice that both unnerved and excited Santana. "You told me that what happened the other night didn't have to mean anything if I didn't want it to, but the way you said it leads me to believe that you were hoping for it to mean something. Otherwise, I think you would have just told me it meant nothing to you."

Santana opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She was speechless. Rachel had read her mind and she was completely correct. "God, Rachel, dramatic enough?" she finally huffed, beginning to retreat again.

Rachel may not have been as tough or as adept to fighting as Santana was, but she certainly was better at standing up for something if she believed it was true. And she wasn't going to let the topic go without at least making the Latina think about what she was possibly losing. "Santana, I'm being serious and I'd like for you to be serious with me. Just tell me honestly, would you like for it to mean something?"

"Maybe, but…"

"But what?"

A lump was forming in Santana's throat and her bottom lip was beginning to quiver. "I don't know, I just…I don't know…"

"Santana, I want you to listen to me," Rachel gently told her. Just the way Santana was struggling with what to say was enough to tell Rachel that she was internally struggling with herself. "Are you listening?"

"Mhmm…" Santana murmured carefully, too afraid that if she tried to speak it would be apparent that she was near tears. The way Rachel spoke to her with a certain sternness while still holding concern reminded her of her late mother and she couldn't stop herself from choking up. Her mother had always been that one person to bring her out of her shell and to push her to take chances that she normally wouldn't push herself to take. It suddenly felt like Rachel was being that person for her again.

"I've gotten to know you a lot in just a few days and the Santana at school isn't who you are. I think I can even go as far as saying that she isn't who you _want_ to be either. You're not a dumb cheerleader or a slutty bitch, you're just shy…you're afraid people won't like you before you even give them a chance. But, Santana, I want you to know that not everyone wants to hurt you or leave you. I hope you understand what I mean…"

"I think I do," Santana eventually whispered into her cell phone, while shamelessly letting a tear trickle down the side of her nose. A moment passed where the only sounds that could be heard were each of the girls' breaths.

"I'm glad you do," Rachel said. She could tell Santana was crying and like times before, she wished she could have been there to hug her and tell her everything would be alright. But she also knew that Santana needed time to think, she needed time to realize that things would get better if only she would let them. "I guess I'll let you go for now then. If you ever feel like calling me you can. Goodnight, San."

"'Night," Santana managed to choke out before she shut her cell phone and tossed it onto her nightstand. It was the first time Rachel had called her 'San' and it was the first night that she would cry herself to sleep over a girl that she truly cared about.

* * *

** I know, I know...Sad!San again! But San is going to go after Rach from now on, I promise! Thanks for reading! :)**


	9. Trust Her, Believe Her

**AN: Hey, guys! I'm back with Chapter 9 and I wanted to apologize for making you wait a week, I made it longer to make up for it! This chapter was a little more difficult to write because I just wanted to make sure everything flowed, and hopefully you all think it does! I won't even hint at what's going to happen, I'll just let you find out! ;) Oh, and as always, thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I've said it before, but I have to say it again, the Pezberry fandom is awesome and ridiculously generous! You all make me wish I had started writing these two a long time ago!**

**AN 2: The one-shot I hinted at on the last chapter will be posted (again) soon! The first time I posted it, FanFiction chopped up the summary and just decided to be difficult so I took it down, but it's coming back!**

**Also, I threw together a set on Polyvore in case you all wanted to see what S and R are wearing during this chapter. You can see it here -**

**www . polyvore . com/cgi/set?id=28851475 **

**Just take the spaces out...because FanFiction is forever difficult! ****I'm kind of addicted to this site, so if it works out I'll make these for some chapters. I think it's kind of nice to add that visual element!**

**Dislcaimer: I don't own Glee and by now you probably just want me to shut up so you can read! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 9 – Trust Her, Believe Her

After the night she had had, Santana surprisingly woke up feeling like a new woman. She rolled over in her bed and squeezed the pillow she had been clutching even tighter. It still smelled like Rachel's perfume and shampoo, and instead of making her stomach ache it made her face break into a smile of determination. Just fantasizing about having Rachel as her girlfriend made her feel giddy and she could hardly wait to see how she would feel if she actually was her girlfriend. She wanted a loud mouthed, self important, yet caring little diva as her own and she was going to get one. But first she had to do some consulting with the only two people who knew Rachel like she did.

Santana crept through the twins' door and then sprinted across their room before bounding onto their bed. She jumped up and down as hard as she could, making the sleeping girls jostle around and mumble in protest. "Come on, wake up, brats!"

"Go away!" the twins said together and curled into each other to shield themselves from their sister's attack.

"No way! Get up!" Santana shouted and then dropped down to her knees so she could begin tickling Isabel's ribs. The little girl began squealing and screaming as Santana laughed, but soon Noelia was sitting on Santana's back and making her squeal from having her hair pulled.

"Ow, ow! Okay, I give, you win!" Santana pleaded, collapsing on her stomach on mattress with Noelia still sitting on her back.

"Leave my sister alone!" Noelia demanded.

"I'm your sister too," Santana groaned as she continued to be smashed to the bed. She didn't even care though, she was too happy to let anything get her down. "And I have something I need to ask you two about."

"No, ask later," Isabel said and then buried her face in Santana's shoulder, preparing to go to sleep again.

Noelia lied down on Santana's back, resting her cheek on her shoulder blades. "Yeah, ask later. I don't wanna wake up now."

"But it's important!" Santana whined, as the twins so often did to her. "It's about Rachel…"

"Rachel!" Isabel loudly questioned, swiftly lifting her head and no longer appearing sleepy at all. "Is she gonna be your girlfriend now!"

The eldest Latina smiled to herself, closed her eyes in contentment and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend. That's why I wanted to talk to you two, how do you think I shou – ow! Stop!"

Noelia was suddenly and excitedly bouncing on her knees and threatening to kill her older sister before she even had a chance with Rachel. Isabel was crowing and shouting and looking just generally enthused with the entire situation.

"So, what should I do? How should I ask her?" Santana asked, fighting her way out from under Noelia to sit up cross legged. The younger girls were all smiles and a font of sweet, random, and downright adorable ideas.

"Sing her a song!" "Draw her a picture!" "Give her stuff animals!" "Feed her ice cream!"

Santana laughed in amusement and nodded to appease them. Those might not have been the exact suggestions she was looking for, but then again they were just kids and she figured she could expand on the ideas.

"How about I buy her flowers and take her on a date tonight? Think that might work?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Isabel said in enthusiastic agreement. "But you have to buy her pink flowers!"

"No, green flowers!" Noelia insisted, glaring at her twin.

"I'll get both!" Santana interjected, quelling the bickering that was sure to happen if she didn't. Noelia didn't have to know that green flowers were probably never going to be in season, if there was even such a thing.

The two girls were satisfied with that answer and quieted. They lied back down in bed again, the excitement of their sister's news already wearing off under the weight of their sleepiness. Santana tucked their blankets back around their small shoulders.

"I'm kind of nervous. What if she says no?" Santana asked softly, as she watched the little girls lying beside her.

Isabel struggled against the comforter, pulled her hand from beneath it, and then opened it for Santana to grasp. "She won't say no. She likes you."

"Yeah…" Noelia yawned, with her eyes closed. "You'll be the best girlfriend ever 'cause you'll take care of her…just like you take care of us…"

Santana felt her throat constrict in a good way and she smiled even though the twins were both falling asleep again. She carefully got off the bed and then kissed each of them on the forehead. "I love you, girls. Thank you."

"Love you too, San…" they whispered back together.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

As Santana paced back and forth in front of the mirror of her bathroom, she was sure that if Rachel knew what she was doing she would have jumped at the notion of them dating. That girl was the crowned queen of rehearsing and planning, but for Santana the skill didn't come so easily.

"What's up, Rachel? I was just wondering if…" she shook her head in disapproval and started again, her hands motioning without her even noticing she was doing it. "Hey, Rachel, I'm sorry about what happened the last time we talked. I was hoping that maybe I could…_ugh!_ _This sucks!_"

Santana slumped down on the edge of the jacuzzi style bathtub and let her head drop into her hands, her fingers combing through her hair and close to tearing it out. A long groan of defeat escaped her mouth and she continued to shake her head in her hands. She didn't understand how so many people asked other people out every day all over the world, when just the idea of calling Rachel was terrifying her.

She was supposed to be good at this. Normally, she oozed confidence, or at least an artificial form of confidence. She used to get undressed and shamelessly have sex with Puck anywhere it was convenient for him even though she hated it. Guys and girls at school would melt for her with just a teasing glance. But thinking of exposing her honest feelings to the exact person she held those feelings for made her heart start to pound. She didn't think she could act her way through this.

Her fingertips felt tingly as she raised the cell phone she had been clutching and began to press buttons. She figured it would be better to just get it over with because she wasn't going to allow herself to keep feeling guilty for being afraid. The worst that could happen was that Rachel would say no and Santana had already decided that if that happened she would just transfer schools to avoid ever seeing her again.

The first ring made Santana's stomach lurch. The second had her squirming and biting her nail between her teeth. The third –

"Hey, Santana!"

The sudden cheery voice coming over the line had Santana wondering if she had even dialed the correct number. She was expecting a chillier reception after their last conversation and hearing Rachel's happy, relaxed tone sent her nervousness through the roof. It made her want Rachel even more, she wanted to be able to call and hear that voice every day.

"Um, hey!" Santana finally said back, trying to force some enthusiasm into the greeting. What's up?"

Rachel sighed lightly. "Oh, nothing really, just hanging around the house. My dads are at work."

"Same for me," Santana replied, finding herself beginning to smile for no apparent reason. Maybe asking Rachel on a date wouldn't be so bad after all.

"So, are you feeling better today? I could tell you were upset last night and I'm sorry I didn't do anything about it, but I thought that maybe it would just be better if you had some time to think on your own."

Santana didn't want to admit that she was upset even though it was obvious that Rachel already knew, but this was her chance. It was her opportunity to make things right after all of her confusing behavior. "Yeah, it's alright…I'm okay now," she admitted and felt a sort of relief wash over her. "That's actually sort of why I called, I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, really?" Rachel said casually. She may have had a slight idea of what Santana wanted to ask, but she wasn't going to get ahead of herself and she wanted to hear it from Santana.

"Yeah…" Santana started, but then stopped to remind herself to breathe and not choke on her own tongue. "I was wondering if…if maybe you would want to go out with me tonight."

Rachel hesitated in answering and Santana felt like dying, until she exclaimed, "I would like that…I'd love to go with you!" Santana moved her cell phone away from her ear, thrust her balled up fist into the air and her face scrunched up as she silently mouthed, "_Yesss!_"

"Sweet!" she said, bringing her cell phone back up. "Would seven o'clock work for you?" Now that she had Rachel's answer she couldn't figure out why she had been scared to ask at all. The process had been completely painless.

"That would be perfect!" Rachel chirped, making Santana grin to herself.

"I'll pick you up at seven, then," she said. She paused for a moment and then figured it would only be right to tell her date that truth. "I can't wait to see you tonight."

"I can't wait to see you either, Santana! We're going to have so much fun!"

Rachel's enthusiasm was infectious. She didn't even know what was planned for them, but she was already ecstatic sounding about it. Santana knew that she needed to learn to be more like that, she needed to give things a chance before casting them aside. She hoped that being with Rachel could teach her that.

"We are," Santana agreed with a smile. "See you later, Rachel."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"So, which jacket do you think I should wear? The black one or the grey one?" Santana asked as she looked between two nearly identical fitted leather jackets. The twins lied on her bed, chins rested in their hands as they watched in boredom.

"They're the same…" Noelia answered, sounding more than a little uninterested. She was still upset that her suggestion of she and Isabel attending the date was refused. Instead, she and her twin had a date with a babysitter.

"I say…" Isabel's finger panned back and forth between the two jackets before settling on black. "That one!"

"Good choice, I like the black one too," Santana said as she laid the chosen jacket over the back of her desk chair. She then grabbed a pair of small silver hoop earrings out of her jewelry box and went to her mirror to put them in. The glossy metal contrasted perfectly with her hair, which she had spent an hour curling while Noelia pestered her.

"I like the other one better," Noelia added in a sly, deliberately spiteful manner.

Santana rolled her eyes in the mirror and fastened the back of the second earring. "Whatever, Noelia."

"Well, you're mean!" she shot back, sitting up on the bed. "Rachel probably wants us to come with you! She likes us!"

Taking her jacket again, Santana shrugged it on over her white top and then ran her fingers through her hair one more time. "Yeah, she does like you, but when you go on a date it's sort of supposed to be between the two people who like each other _the most_."

Noelia suddenly looked crushed, but Santana didn't notice. She was still giving herself a once over in the mirror as the little girl got off the bed and ran out of the room. She figured Noelia was just trying to be difficult and didn't pay her storm out any attention.

"Now! The most important question!" Santana announced, while picking up two different tubes of lip gloss from her vanity. "Do you think Rachel likes vanilla or berry flavor better?"

Isabel glanced at the door after her sister, but then turned back to her eldest sister with a smile. "Berry, duh!"

Santana laughed her agreement and began swiping the translucent red gel onto her full lips. "Now, just wish me luck in getting a kiss!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

As Santana drummed her fingers on the steering wheel while driving to the Berry's house, she was taking back what she had thought while on the phone; there were plenty of reasons to still be nervous even though Rachel had already accepted. There were about a million actually. From, would Rachel still want to go with her, to had her curls fallen out on the way over.

When she pulled into the driveway she could see one of the bedroom windows on the second story illuminated from the inside, Rachel's presumably. She reached up and flipped on the overhead light so she could check her reflection for the umpteenth time, before taking the still chilled pink and yellow roses from the passenger seat and exiting the car.

Santana gave herself a silent pep talk as she walked up the front porch steps and then rang the door bell. _You can do this. Just breathe and don't pass out. She wants to be with you, she said she couldn't wait to see you either. Trust her, believe her._

_Believe her, _Santana repeated in her head once more as the door opened to reveal Rachel, wearing loose hair, a navy blue sweater dress, pumps, and her classic smile.

"Hey, San! Come in!"

The nickname, the smile, the embodiment of perfection that Rachel happened to be at the moment, it all sent Santana into system overload. But somehow she remembered how to smile back and even to speak. "Hey," she greeted, albeit a little shyly as she stepped inside. "You look…" her eyes briefly scanned down Rachel's small stature and she resisted the urge to say banging, on fire, sexy as hell, or all of the above. "Gorgeous."

Rachel dipped her head into her shoulder and gave a little uncertain shrug. "Thanks."

Santana nodded and bit her lip. "You're welcome. Oh, and these are for you." She handed over the flowers that had been hanging dead in her hand at her side and then gave herself a mental pat on the back as Rachel's eyes lit up and her smile grew even wider. Suave Santana 1 – Nervous Santana 0.

"Aww, they're positively beautiful!" Rachel gushed, as she brought the flowers to her face, letting the petals delicately brush her lips and nose as she smelled them. "And they smell fantastic! Thank you so much, Santana!"

Before the Latina could register what was happening, Rachel had thrown herself into her arms. "You're welcome," Santana repeated again, bringing one hand to Rachel's lower back and the other over her shoulder blades. She pulled her close and breathed in the scent of the roses and the petite girl's perfume. They didn't even have to go out; Santana would have been satisfied hugging in the doorway for the rest of the night – or her life.

But Rachel had other plans and much too soon she was pulling away, but grinning a little dazedly Santana noticed. "Would you mind if I put these in a vase before we go?"

"No, of course not."

"Perfect!" Rachel exclaimed as she turned to walk further into the house and motioned for Santana to follow. "Now you can meet my dads."

The comment stopped Santana in her tracks and glued her to her spot in the hall of the entryway. She wasn't exactly the meet-the-parents type of girl. "I thought your dads were at work?"

One time Puck had shoved her into the hedges outside of his window while she was clad in only her bra and Cheerios skirt, to avoid being caught in a heavy make out by his mother when they were in middle school. Her humiliation had come second to his risk of being grounded for a few days. Even Brittany's parents didn't really approve of her. When she was younger she could never find the reason why, it wasn't like she and Brittany didn't get into equal amounts of trouble together. But as she got older and her sexuality became a little more obvious with each passing year, so did the reason as to why the Pierce's weren't Santana's biggest fans. Most of the time she couldn't even get her own father to notice her, let alone like her and she didn't really see how Rachel's fathers could be any different.

"Well, they were at work but they're home now, silly!' Rachel laughed, continuing to move forward.

Santana suddenly felt sick to her stomach but she followed anyway. The heels of her shoes echoed loudly off the hardwood flooring and she tried to walk a little lighter. This wasn't what she had planned for the night and she definitely wasn't ready for it.

"Dad! Daddy! I want you to meet someone!" Rachel called into the room as they rounded a corner. "This is Santana Lopez, my date for the evening."

Two men turned around from the various food items they were working with at the kitchen counter. One was shorter, with dark brown thinning hair and wire rim glasses. The other – Santana noticed with some degree of fear – was a much taller black man, who dwarfed her own father who she had always considered to be of above average height for a male.

"Hi…" Santana said lamely, rotating her hand in a half wave.

"Don't look at her like that!" Rachel demanded and then teasingly punched the taller man in the stomach, instantly making him smile. "You're scaring her!"

"Sorry, sweetie, we're just playing with you," the hulking man laughed and then walked over to Santana, pulling her into a tight hug before she had time to protest or run in the other direction. "I'm Leroy Berry, it's nice to finally meet you. Oh, and this is my husband, Hiram."

The other man nearly shoved his husband away from Santana to pull her into a hug of his own. "Rachel has told us a lot about you, but I was beginning to think I would never get to meet the voice behind the spectacular Valerie performance!"

Rachel's fathers were as disarming as Rachel herself and Santana couldn't help but to mirror some of their excitement. "You were there?" she asked, liking the way that Leroy gave her shoulder a pat of approval at the mention of Sectionals.

"Well, of course! I haven't missed a single one of Rachel's shows since she was three years old," Hiram informed. "And I'm so glad I didn't miss the latest because you, my dear, have an extraordinary voice!"

Santana smiled through the pain in her chest. A dagger of reality had just been thrust into her and twisted; her home life never seemed so abnormal until compared to someone else's. She hadn't had any parent receive her in such a welcoming way since her mother died, it was both refreshing and nerve wracking. "Thank you, I'm glad you liked it."

"Okay, all set!" Rachel announced, as she finished arranging the roses in a vase. "Ready, Santana?"

"Whenever you are," she replied.

Rachel quickly pecked each of her fathers on the cheek and then surprised the Latina by sidling up to her and weaving their fingers together. "I'm ready then!" she said happily.

"It was nice to meet you both," Santana said. The hurt that had been unintentionally dredged up was fading fast due to the hand within her own and she suddenly remembered why she liked Rachel. She made her feel wanted and her fathers had done a pretty good job of it too.

Both men repeated the same to her and before they got out the front door, Hiram called, "I hope to see you again, Santana! Maybe you and Rachel can sing us a duet!"

Rachel looked over to Santana and rolled her eyes as she gave her hand a squeeze. "Bye, dad!"

_I hope so too_, Santana thought as she gave a squeeze back.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"You know, I was sort of surprised that you didn't have to pencil me into your schedule. I thought you planned your days like down to the minute," Santana said while picking up her glass of ice water and biting down on the straw.

Dinner at BreadstiX had been nothing short of surprisingly perfect and relaxing. The girls had found that it wasn't hard for them to keep conversation with each while they were alone anymore. In fact, now that they had gotten past the strange limbo that they had been stuck in due to school and reputations, they had more in common than they would have thought.

"In case you may have forgotten, I'm a teenager too and it is Christmas break. I like to indulge every once in a while," Rachel said with a nonchalant shrug that made Santana laugh. "Plus, I would most definitely make exceptions for you."

Santana playfully bumped Rachel's foot with her own under the table as she looked down bashfully. "I'd do the same for you…" Then she placed her hand up on the table cloth between them, not having to wait long before Rachel's fingertips tickled her palm. She distractedly studied the way that Rachel's hand was much smaller than her own and how their skin tones nearly matched due to the sunless winter. But when familiar voices floated into her ears from a few tables over her concentration was broken.

A group of younger Cheerios were being seated at a booth behind Rachel, their red and white letterman jackets assaulting Santana's line of vision. The smaller brunette noticed the way that Santana was suddenly preoccupied with the scene behind her and turned to look over her shoulder. It may not have been the ideal way to end dinner, but Rachel could see that the other girls' presence was already affecting her date. Santana had pulled her hand way and discreetly put it back under the tabletop, while staring anywhere besides at her teammates.

"We can go if you want. We're finished anyway," Rachel whispered softly. She wasn't disappointed in Santana, it wasn't her fault that she felt she needed to act a certain way in front of her peers. But she was a little upset that the Cheerios had to come along and end their streak. "And the movie will be starting soon too."

"Yeah…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Santana was quiet as they walked out to her car, but she held Rachel's hand the entire way and opened the door for her, waiting for her to get in before closing it again. As she waited for the Latina to come around to the other door, Rachel wondered if the rest of the date was going to work. Only time would tell.

"Look," Santana began in a dull voice after getting in the car. "I'm sorry about what happened in there, but I want you to know that it has nothing to do with you. I'm not ashamed of being with you…I just have to get used to this, used to being Santana with a girlfriend and not Santana the independent loner."

"So, you have a girlfriend already, huh? Who is she?"

Santana hadn't even realized what she had said and after a few moments of processing Rachel's questions she groaned and dropped her forehead to the top of the steering wheel. "I didn't mean to say that," she mumbled. Her head lifted and then it thumped back down as her hand rummaged in the middle console. "Actually I did mean to say that, but I was supposed to give you this first." She handed Rachel a red envelope. "I suck at this."

Rachel took the envelope, softly saying, "You don't suck at anything, San…"

Santana sat up and summoned all of her nerve, she was going to need it for what was about to happen. "The card was Noelia and Is' idea…yeah, I get my romantic advice from six year olds."

"Hmm, romantic…" Rachel murmured, waggling her eyebrows in hopes of lightening the mood. She was nervous about all of the newness too, but she was a lot better actress than Santana.

The Latina was glad that Rachel was busy opening the envelope so she couldn't see the blush forming on her face and neck. "Just read it," she urged.

Rachel cleared her throat and much to Santana's dismay she began to read the words that had taken her hours to get correct out loud.

_Rachel ~_

_I know we didn't always get along before and I know that was my fault. I didn't give you much of a chance until a few days ago, but considering everything that has happened since, I'm glad that I did. You make me smile and laugh in a way that you probably never even thought I was capable of and I'm thankful for that._

_I can't promise that I will do everything right the first time because I've never done this before. I might get into fights and get sent to detention, and you probably won't like that. I might not know every Broadway musical by title and in chronological order, and I __know__ you __really__ won't like that. But I can promise that I will only get sent to detention for fighting bullies for you. And I can also promise that I will spend all of my free time watching those musicals with you until I do know them. Now, I just need you to give me a chance and believe me when I promise that I will always take care of you, if you will let me. So, Rachel, would you please be my girlfriend?_

_ ~ Santana Alejandra_

By the time Rachel had finished reading, Santana could see the light catching on the glassiness in her eyes. "What? What's wrong?" she asked, trying her best not to start freaking out. "You can say no, I'll understand." She said that, but she knew that if Rachel refused she was going to be the one crying

"That's not it at all," Rachel assured, shaking her head and touching one of her fingertips to the corner of her eye. "It's just that that's like the cutest thing I've ever had the privilege of reading and it was for me. I would love to be your girlfriend, Santana, you know that. I was wondering when you would ask."

Santana ran a hand through her dark hair and breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Really?" she asked, looking into Rachel's eyes just to be sure.

"Yes," the petite brunette whispered back and reached over to bring their hands together again.

A grin spread over Santana's face that threatened to split it in two. She lowered her head, while saying, "Wow, that's just…that's awesome…thank you." Rachel nodded and leaned closer, so that her elbows were resting on the console and Santana just couldn't resist anymore. "Can I kiss you?"

Rachel's eyes fluttered shut and her voice was low as she whispered, "Please do." It was easily one of the sexiest things Santana could ever recall witnessing in her relatively short life. But she didn't have time to dwell; she had to get her mack on.

At first, their second kiss was soft and gentle like the first had been. But after a few chaste presses of their lips, Santana let the tip of her tongue swipe against Rachel's lower lip, making her sigh into the kiss. She then brought both of her hands to Santana's face and neck, pulling her close and silently letting her know how genuine her answer was.

"Would it be inappropriate to partake in obnoxious displays of excitement right now?" Rachel asked against Santana's mouth, her fingers cradling her jaw.

Setting their foreheads together, Santana whispered, "I don't think so…"

"Okay, good." Rachel straightened herself up in her seat and stayed silent for a moment, before suddenly throwing her hands in the air and releasing a squeal of excitement that Santana thought would shatter the glass. "Ahh! I'm dating the hottest Cheerio at McKinley!" She turned to the Latina with an ecstatic grin. "That's not the top reason as to why I value you, but I just can't believe that you – of all people – actually want me for a significant other!"

Santana immediately cracked up. "Well, will you believe me if I say it like this?" she questioned, and then raised her hand and bobbed her head as she often did, while saying, "I wants you, Rachel Berry! I wants you bad!"

"That definitely helps!" Rachel laughed as she held tight to Santana's hand. Their easy laughter was like a natural magnetism and soon that laughter faded as they came together for another kiss.

When Santana eventually pulled away, she rested her cheek against Rachel's and spoke into her ear. "Promise you'll be patient with me?"

"Of course, but why do I need to be patient?"

Santana wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and reveled in the simplicity of just hugging her in the front seat of her car and feeling happy. Not having to have half of her clothes off or anything. "Because," she said, nuzzling her face into Rachel's hair. "You're so sure of who you are and I'm not, but I want to be. There are a lot of things that no one knows about me, but you could know them…just give me time."

"I'll give you all the time you need, Santana," Rachel told her, as she ran one of her hands up and down the black leather covering her back. "That's what relationships are about, learning things about a person that no one else knows. And I can't wait to learn those things about you, and you for me."

"How did I not like you before?"

Rachel giggled and untangled herself from the Latina. "Something tells me it was the extensive use of professional level vocabulary and the high energy."

"Well, for the record..." Santana said while tucking a strand of hair behind Rachel's ear. "It seems a lot cuter to me now."

"Why, thank you, that's very lovely of you to say, but right now I'm more concerned with the fact that at this moment we're exactly seventeen minutes late for the movie."

"Aw, damn," Santana cursed and began putting her seat belt on. "Guess you're gonna see how we do movies Santana style!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Omigosh, I can't believe we did that! I feel like a criminal! Do you think we could get arrested for that!"

After Santana had snuck them into the theatre through one of the many back doors, Rachel couldn't stop going on about arrest warrants and criminal records, while still being elated that she had broken some type of rule.

"If you get a record for one offense, then that definitely makes me a wanted woman. I've snuck into this theatre a gazillion times," Santana said nonchalantly, but with a hint of rebel pride. She may have been letting her softer side show around Rachel, but she was still going to take advantage of her badass antics to impress her.

"It was thrilling, I have to admit," Rachel whispered from her position crouched in one of the seats in the very back row; she was still a little worried that they would be found out. "But I don't think we should make it a habit and we should probably pay for the tickets when we leave, just to be safe."

Santana rolled her eyes, yet couldn't help but smile. "Now, that really would get me in trouble. Do you think I could make it up to you by going to buy popcorn and a ton of other candy? It'll make up for the money I didn't spend on tickets."

Rachel nodded her approval and Santana slinked out of her seat, nearly skipping down the stairs as she exited to the lobby. She still couldn't process the fact that a little over a week ago she and Rachel were at odds with one another and now they were girlfriends. It felt good to finally have something turn out right for a change, but at the same time she still wanted to be careful. She didn't want this relationship slipping through her fingers like so many other good things had in her life.

When Santana reached the glass counter filled with a variety of colorful candy packages the first flaw in their relationship surfaced again. The whole vegan diet still mystified her.

"Umm…" Santana murmured to the young guy behind the counter, who was wearing a tacky polo shirt. She tilted her head and read over the titles on the boxes with concentration. "Is any of this junk vegan?"

"Psh, I don't know," the guy mumbled back.

Santana screwed up her face and glared at him with disgust. "Well, you work in this joint! Get to knowin'!"

The guy looked at her with disinterest and made no move to answer. Taking a deep breath, Santana willed herself not to take the guy by his collar and give him a piece of her mind. That was one of those things that she knew Rachel wouldn't like. "Alright, dude, I have a different idea," she said haughtily. "Go get me some popcorn _without_ butter and then come back here and get me all the fruit flavored candies you have…please."

As he went to complete his orders, Santana stood around resisting the urge to loudly tap her foot. Didn't he know that he was wasting the time that she could be spending with Rachel?

"Okay, here it is," the guy droned as he punched buttons on the cash register. "It's gonna be $32.50."

Santana pulled her card from her wallet and handed it over for him to swipe. "This stuff is overpriced. I'm gonna call and complain, and maybe I'll tell the manager about how unknowledgeable you are about these fine products while I'm at it."

The guy gaped at her and Santana shrugged as if there was nothing she could do, then took her purchases and began walking away. She only made it a few feet before she turned around, pointed at him accusingly, and announced, "And there best be no butter in this popcorn!"

She made her way back to Rachel in record time and when she found the small brunette curled up in the seat with her leather jacket spread over her lap, her heart practically melted all over the gum covered floor. Normally, cutesy displays like that from other couples made her want to vomit. But seeing Rachel wrapped up in her jacket made her want to grin like an idiot.

"Are you cold?" she asked, as she sat down.

"Oh…" Rachel looked down at the jacket and then back up to Santana with a shy smile. "Yeah, a little."

"Figures, this place is probably running the air conditioning in the middle of winter. I'll have to add that to my list of complaints."

"What complaints?"

"Uh, never mind," Santana said quickly and then gestured to the numerous packages in her lap. "Let's just eat some candy. I didn't know what kind you could eat, so I just got like…pretty much all of it."

Rachel giggled in amusement and surveyed the Skittles, Starbursts, Airheads, Dots, Jolly Ranchers, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, and any other type of fruity candy imaginable. "I see that, how very sweet of you."

"Sweet like candy," Santana winked and tore into an Airhead with her teeth. The green candy stretched and then finally broke apart, leaving the excess hanging from her mouth. "Want some?" she laughed past it.

"They are vegan, so I don't see the harm," Rachel said with a shrug, and then guided Santana's face to hers. She bit into the candy and brushed her nose against the Latina's before pulling a piece away. Their lips hadn't even touched but the gesture was comically intimate and soon they were reduced to a fit of giggles.

"Shh!" a random person hissed at them from a few rows ahead.

"Fuck off!" Santana called back in response, but then brought her hand to her mouth in regret. She slowly turned to Rachel, who was trying hard to look disapproving even though she was close to laughing. "Sorry…"

"It's alright."

Santana decided to change the subject and grabbed the bucket of popcorn from the seat beside her and set it in her lap. "So, I want you to know that I almost had to wrestle a guy to get him to give me the popcorn without butter. Apparently movie goers don't realize the indecencies of the butter industry."

The comment was so Rachel that Santana knew she wouldn't be able to resist commenting back. "It really is a shame," the petite brunette said, taking a few pieces.

"Sure is…" Santana played along and ate a piece, only to find that it was basically tasteless compared to the butter and salt smothered mess she was used to. "This is sick."

"It's not sick!" Rachel interjected as she flung a piece at Santana and watched it bounce off her forehead. "It's healthy and humane!"

"Girl, you did not just throw that at me!" Santana laughed, taking another piece and sending it whizzing past Rachel's face, who then retaliated by grabbing an entire handful and letting it spill from her hand over her head. It was only half way through the movie when the same guy who had sold Santana her candy had come to ask them to leave due to a few complaints pertaining to she and Rachel's popcorn fight/kissing spree.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"So, we got kicked out of the theatre," Rachel said with a grin as she stood facing Santana on her front porch.

"So, we did…" Santana replied and then took a step closer, causing the toes of their shoes to touch. She was over being nervous. "But you loved it."

The smaller girl nodded guiltily, but without an ounce of shame. "I did," she agreed, while reaching up to loop her arms around Santana's neck. "I couldn't have done it without you though."

"Ha, me either."

As the two silently embraced, they each thought of all the different happenings of the night that they wouldn't have normally done with each other. They were more alike than they were different, noticed at school for all the wrong things and struggling to find someone who could understand. And the differences they did have complemented each other and gave them a chemistry that was undeniable now that it had been revealed.

"I could get used to this," Santana sighed contently against the top of Rachel's head. She was gently swaying their bodies as she hugged the small girl to her chest.

"Mmm, me too…"

They remained like that for a few minutes longer until Santana reluctantly pulled back a little to look into the dark brown eyes of her new girlfriend. "I guess I should go, the babysitter said she could only stay until midnight and I know the twins are probably still awake waiting for the verdict."

Rachel let her head fall back, unconsciously preparing for the kiss she was about to receive. "Tell them it never crossed my mind to say no and that I'll see them soon."

"I will," whispered Santana, before she captured the full lips below hers.

"Will you also text me when you get home so I know you made it back safely?"

Santana knew that most normal teenagers would have been put off by the simple request. It would have been thought of as clingy and bothersome. But to her, it meant that she belonged and that someone was actually making an effort to be concerned and protective of her. She didn't know why someone would be bothered by that.

"I'll do that too," she smiled.

Rachel reached for the door handle and quirked a brow. "You better, because I'll be waiting. Bye, San."

"I won't keep you waiting long. Bye, Rachel."

As Santana walked back to her car wearing a near painful grin the far off thought that she might have accidentally lied to Rachel tickled her brain. She didn't know if she was going to make it home because she was almost sure she was about to die of happiness and she didn't really care who knew about it.

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**:) Let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Quite Literally Falling

**AN: We made it to Ch. 10, yay! As always, thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting, I just love getting those little e-mails! :) I'll be honest...this chapter is FLUFFY, but it also sets up a few things for upcoming chapters! Enjoy!**

**Here's the Polyvore Set for this chapter! Check it out because the twins' outfits are super cute, lol!**

**www . polyvore . com /cgi/set?id=29223388**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Glee, if I did Britt Britt would already be San's. Proudly so, damn it! **

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Chapter 10 – Quite Literally Falling

The next morning, Santana sat wrapped in a towel on the edge of her bathtub while she scanned through old text messages for the second time. She had already looked at them when she woke up just to make sure that she hadn't dreamt up the events of the previous night. To her delight, she and Rachel's date seemed to have been one hundred percent real life.

**Im home and n bed now. 2 bad ur not here 4 more awkwrd cuddling ;) ~ SaNtAnA**

**It wasn't awkward! But yes, too bad! ~ BrightStar**

**It was soo awkwrd! Get real! :p ~ SaNtAnA**

**I suppose we will just have to practice until it isn't awkward then. ~ BrightStar**

**Im down! ~ SaNtAnA**

**Can't wait! Have sweet dreams tonight, baby! ~ BrightStar**

**Thnx, u 2! And thnx again for saying yes, I really am excited about us! xo ~ SaNtAnA**

**:D ~ BrightStar**

Every time Santana read the endearment 'baby' at the end of Rachel's text her face was overtaken by a dopey smile. And since no one was around to judge her, she didn't mind acting like a lovesick puppy. Rachel was making her feel like any normal sixteen year old girl who had just gotten someone she truly liked to be with her and she figured that was perfectly alright. The excited squeal she had screamed into her pillow after waking up may have been borderline insane, but she let it slide anyway.

Before going to dry her hair, Santana read through the texts just once more and then switched Rachel's caller ID from 'Berry', to 'My Girl'. Big changes were taking place and as far as Santana could tell, they were nothing to fear.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Santana's good mood was untouchable, or at least that was what she thought until she saw Isabel's face for the first time since the night before.

"What happened to your face!" Santana asked frantically, as she sat next to her little sister on the couch and carefully cradled her small face to inspect the splotched scratches on her cheek.

Isabel looked up at her with wide doe eyes and her lower lip trembled as she sobbed, "Noelia did it!"

"When?" the eldest Latina questioned, her voice nothing but sympathy and concern.

"Last night when you were gone!" Isabel cried.

Santana had been wondering why Noelia was sitting silently at the other end of the couch when usually she and her twin were curled up like puppies each morning, watching cartoons together. Then it all made sense. "Did you do this, Noelia!" she demanded to know, while pointing at the little cuts that had so obviously come from fingernails.

"Yes…" the young girl answered coolly, but without looking at her two sisters.

"Why!" Santana yelled angrily. Her positive energy had quickly taken a dive in the opposite direction. She hated when she had to punish either one of the twins, but she didn't particularly like seeing gouges in their faces either.

Noelia hopped off the couch and stared up at Santana, perfectly matching her glare. "Because I wanted to!"

"Well, guess what! That's not a good enough reason for you to go tearing your sister's face off!" Santana shouted back. "You get to go spend some time in your room! Go, _now!_"

She continued to glare defiantly, but after a few seconds Noelia turned around and stomped up the stairs. Santana turned her attention back to Isabel, who was still sniffling and wiping at her eyes pitifully. "I'm sorry she did that, baby. What happened?"

Isabel shrugged. "She was mean to me the whole night and then she got mad 'cause I didn't want to watch a movie and then she hit me and then – and then she scratched me!"

By the time the confession was finished, Isabel was sobbing again and Santana was pulling her into her lap. While she was angry with Noelia for what she did, she was also ready to call the twit of a babysitter and demand the fifty dollar bill back that she had given her for staying so long. She should have known that just being able to think about herself for once and be content was nearly unheard of in her life; there was always something or someone to worry about.

"I have to go talk to your evil twin, okay?" Santana whispered to her sister, hoping that the tease would cheer her up a little bit. Isabel cracked a faint smile, nodded, and then moved back to her spot on the couch. "I'll be back in a while," she said, and then jogged up the stairs.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Noelia?"

"Get outta my room!"

"Sorry, Noe, but you can't boss the boss," Santana said as she walked over and sat on the edge of the twin bed where Noelia was lying. "Talk to me," she urged softly and gave the girl's arm a nudge. "Tell me why you're beating on your sister."

Noelia rolled onto her side so that Santana couldn't see her face and snapped, "I said because I wanted to!"

Santana knew this defense mechanism because it was one of her own repertoire. She hated being bothered when she was upset, but she also knew that if someone pushed a little that the truth would eventually come spilling out. Until recently, she hadn't had someone to do that for her and she knew the feeling of being stuck in a swamp of conflicting emotions. She was never going to let that happen to her sisters.

"Come on," Santana said as she lied down and nudged the girl again, this time with her leg. "We both know that's not true. You love Is and you normally don't go around beating her up, so tell me what's really wrong."

"I'm not telling you 'cause I'm mad at you," Noelia said quietly and evenly.

Santana's brows furrowed as she looked up to the ceiling. Surely, Noelia couldn't have still been mad about being refused on going along to her and Rachel's date.

"Are you still mad that you didn't get to come with me?"

"No…"

"Then what did I do to make you so mad at me?"

Noelia's sharp breaths and her small shoulders quivering let Santana know it was just going to be one of those days. But she couldn't have imagined the reason why.

"You said you liked Rachel better than us!" the young girl cried, curling herself even further away from her older sister.

"No, I didn't!" Santana's first reaction was shock and denial, but at the back of her mind she now knew exactly what Noelia was referring to. "I didn't say that!"

"Yes, you did!" Noelia insisted, suddenly sitting up and revealing her dark, teary eyes. "You said when you go on a date you go with who you like _the most!_"

Santana felt her heart sink and the ever present guilt that she felt over not being good enough for her sisters hit her square in the chest. How could she have said something like that without thinking about it first? Without a mother and a caring father, she was all that Noelia and Isabel had in the world and now she had planted a seed of doubt and betrayal in their heads. But at the same time, she was so happy being with Rachel and she didn't know how to make two small children who had already been hurt understand that fact.

"I didn't mean to say that…that's not what I meant," Santana whispered softly, not knowing what else to say.

"Go away…" Noelia said flatly and laid down on her bed again. She rolled onto her stomach and hid her face in her folded arms.

In that moment, Santana had an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other. _She's young, she doesn't understand. She'll get over it, _she thought to herself. But the next second she was thinking, _You of all people should know why she's upset! You let her down!_

Taking her chances, Santana tried to take one of Noelia's hands into her own but it was shaken away.

Seeing that she couldn't do anything more, she got up and went into her own room. She had thought of calling Rachel to cheer her up again, but that was the exact reason as to why her sister was mad at her and she didn't want to be _that_ kind of girlfriend. Her cell phone lied on her bedside table and she picked it up, intent on being pathetic and reading through her old texts again, but when she slid it open she was greeted with a new message.

**New TXT Message**

**My Girl**

**Wed, Dec 22 10:00am **

**Good morning, my gorgeous girlfriend! ~ BrightStar**

She had never been more thankful for Rachel's thoroughness and enthusiasm. Now, she had an excuse to talk to her, but she was still pretty sure she was going to sound pathetic.

**I would like 2 say its a good mrning after last night, but its not even noon and both of the twins have already been crying…I might b next. ~ SaNtAnA**

**:( Aw, I'm going to call you, okay? ~ BrightStar**

Santana closed her cell phone and within a matter of seconds it was buzzing in her hand. "Hello?"

"Hey, don't cry, Santana…" came Rachel's gentle voice over the line.

It gave her the urge to cry even more. She couldn't figure out what it was about Rachel, but while being able to completely undo her, she also gave her a sense of calm. Forcing her voice to stay even, Santana replied, "Sorry, I won't…God, so far all I've been is the needy, whiny, weepy girlfriend and we haven't even been dating a full day!"

"It's okay, San, that's why I'm here," Rachel said cheerfully, not at all put off. She was actually glad that her new relationship with Santana was starting out as emotional. It was easier to figure out each other's feelings earlier on, rather than having to dig for them. And she hoped that once they got past that stage they could only grow closer from there. "And someday when I don't get the solo I want or Mr. Schuester tries to downplay my talent, you'll be there and I'll be whiny and weepy too."

Santana couldn't help but laugh because that was likely to happen almost every week in Glee club. "I will be there."

"So, are you going to tell me what has the Lopez ladies in such an uproar this morning?"

"Ugh," Santana groaned. "I really don't want to, but I will. It's just that Noelia is a little upset about something I told her before I took you out last night."

"Well, what did you tell her?" Rachel inquired.

The Latina sighed. "She kept asking me if she could go out on a date too…of course, I told her no. Then she said that you probably would want her and Isabel to go because you liked them. I told them that you liked them, but that you're supposed to go on a date with the person you like the most. She took it the wrong way, so she was upset while I was gone and she took it out on Isabel and scratched her face. Now, she's still mad and she won't talk to me. It's just a big mess…and I don't want them to think I'm going to leave them like our dad."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. Santana couldn't see Rachel's face, but if she could she would have seen that the petite brunette looked genuinely hurt over her new girlfriend hurting.

"No, don't be sorry," Santana said glumly as she played with the ends of her hair. "I suppose they're going to have to learn that I won't _always _be there. I just have to be careful I guess…"

There was a pause in their conversation and then – sounding mysterious – Rachel asked, "I think I have a perfect idea! Would you be opposed to another date this afternoon?"

"That probably wouldn't be the best idea, considering –"

"Just have the girls ready by one o'clock for their date and make sure they dress warmly. Oh, and don't forget about yourself as well!"

Santana was thoroughly confused now, but it wasn't the first time that Rachel had confused her and she knew it wouldn't be the last either. "What are you even talking about?"

"Just trust me, Santana!" Rachel said, her voice jovial.

Rachel might not have known that she was asking Santana to do something that she was still slightly struggling with, but that was alright. It was an issue that the Latina could only fix for herself. So, after hesitating for a moment, Santana answered, "Okay, I'm trusting you!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

A few hours later the twins were flinging open the front door with a sharp, ecstatic cry of, "Rachel!"

They clung to her legs just as they had done on the day that they had unintentionally played matchmakers for her and their sister. That was only days ago, yet all of the girls' lives had gained new dimensions in one way or another.

"Just the young ladies I wanted to see! And don't you both look adorable!" Rachel said in greeting, as she grasped the door jamb and half walked, half dragged herself and the girls into the foyer. Before meeting the twins, children were one of the few things that Rachel didn't really know how to handle. But since Noelia and Isabel had responded so warmly to her she didn't feel the need to be uncomfortable with them. It was almost like having siblings of her own.

"You're Santí's girlfriend now!" Isabel stated matter-of-factly as she smiled up at the older girl.

The simple and obvious reminder gave Rachel a little thrill. "I am!" she smiled back, "And speaking of Santana, where is she?"

"Right here!" Santana panted as she rounded the corner in a jog, stilling attempting to shrug on her dark brown coat. As soon as she saw Rachel already giving her a slightly shy grin she stopped dead in her tracks and lost all ability to function beyond smiling and staring. "Hey…" she managed to say quietly.

"Hey yourself…" Rachel teased as she stepped closer. Enough so that Santana could reach her hand forward and link it with one smaller than her own.

"You look cute," Santana said, swinging their linked hands. Rachel certainly wasn't wearing anything like she had on their date, but the simple casualness was what lured the Latina. She was used to seeing her in short skirts and knee socks, not form fitting jeans and knee high boots.

After a hint of hesitation, Rachel took Santana's free hand in hers so that they faced one another and all of their fingers hung woven together at their sides. "You look cuter…"

Santana did think that she looked pretty good, especially after spending an unusual amount of time getting ready for the exact reason of impressing her new girlfriend. But actually hearing Rachel confirm the fact made her duck her head bashfully to study the tips of her boots. "Thanks…"

The relationship was still very new; all innocent freshness and butterflies. And there was a short moment where they were both uncertain about whether or not they needed permission or some silent invitation to give the other a kiss. But when Santana raised her head she found that she was at the perfect angle to let her lips meet Rachel's, so she did just that. The kiss only lasted seconds because the twins were present, but when Rachel gave both of Santana's hands a squeeze as they parted it let her know that she hadn't wanted it to end so soon.

"I see you got Noelia out of her room," Rachel whispered so that the two young girls milling about and pulling on their Ugg boots would not hear.

Santana shrugged her shoulders high and pressed her lips into a thin line, still absently swaying their hands. "All I had to say was that you were coming and she was fine, imagine that."

The petite brunette couldn't help but giggle. "Poor Santana…"

Then the Latina pulled a strange face, while shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now are you taking me on a date or what?"

It was evident that Santana was only joking when she had asked the question in that manner, but Rachel did a perfect job of impressing her and attacking back with some of her own sarcasm.

"I'm taking Noelia and Isabel on a date," she corrected, untangling her hands from Santana's and moving back to the front door with a well placed smirk. "You're just along for the ride. Come along, girls!"

Santana smirked right along with her and filed out behind her sisters. She didn't mind having to chase Rachel for the afternoon if she knew that ultimately in the end she was still going to be hers.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After driving for a short while, they reached a snowy parking lot where people were getting out of their cars in outdoor wear and carrying ice skates tied together by their laces over their shoulders. Santana immediately recognized the location and her face fell a little, but she tried to hide it.

"We're going ice skating!" Rachel announced excitedly, which in turned caused the twins to cheer along with her. Santana remained quiet and soon Rachel was grabbing her gloved hand and enthusiastically asking, "Aren't you excited, San! You know how to ice skate, right!"

Santana quickly snapped out of her stupor and nodded her head cockily. "Psh, of course I do! I'm a Cheerio. I was like born to do athletic things!"

Rachel clapped her hands together in approval. "Wonderful! That way I won't have to teach you how and we'll be able to help the girls!"

"Right…" Santana said and then looked out over one of the ovals of ice with a shiver of fear. This place had not been kind to her during a class trip in fourth grade and she had had no intention of ever coming back; the afternoon would be a definite test of character for her.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Santana, I thought you said you already knew how to ice skate!" Rachel laughed, as she easily glided up to her girlfriend and made an effortless stop. Noelia and Isabel puttered around her, the blades of their skates clicking on the ice as they went. They had picked up the skill in no time. "Or did you just say that to try to impress me?"

"No!" Santana swiftly snapped from her position on her knees. It was only about the fifteenth time she had fallen and now she had resorted to clinging to the barrier surrounding the rink. "I just…haven't done it in a while!" she huffed, as she hauled herself back up by hanging onto the edge.

"Well, you were able to roller skate at April Rhodes' skating rink with no problem. So I see no reason as to why you would have difficulties doing this, it's roughly the same concept," Rachel explained, then skated a few yards ahead. "See, it's easy!"

"Well! Obviously it's a different concept for me!" Santana growled in frustration, continuing to pull herself along by the barrier. Even aside from the twins, there were plenty of other small children doing a fine job of skating over the ice without injury. It made Santana roll her eyes and swear under her breath.

"We wanna go faster!" Isabel shouted, after completing a small circle beside Rachel. Her comment was met with a glare from her older sister.

"You don't need to go any fa –" Before Santana could finish the sentence both of her feet slipped out from beneath her for the umpteenth time, and she once again landed flat on her back. Although she had done it just minutes before, it was the hardest she had fallen yet.

"Omigosh!" Rachel cried, as she went back to Santana's side while obviously trying not to laugh. "Are you okay?" she giggled, and then added, "I'm sorry, it's just that –"

"You're really bad at this, Santí!" Noelia finished for her, giggling right along.

"Oh, just go skate!" Santana finally yelled once she had righted herself again. "I'm going to stay here and try to salvage what's left of my pride."

Rachel took Isabel by her hand, and then looked over her shoulder to smile at Santana. "I'll come back for you, San!" She then blew a kiss.

Santana kept her face hard in aggravation. But when Rachel refused to go on without a reaction, she let go of the rail and pretended to catch the kiss – automatically falling in the process. As she sat on the cold ice, she couldn't help but laugh at herself, especially as she watched Rachel skate away while still laughing and shaking her head.

After pulling herself up once again, she decided to stay put and try to at least look smooth by casually leaning her back against the barrier. She rested her elbows on the flat ledge at the top and let her eyes follow Rachel and the twins as they made their way around the loop. It was almost ridiculous that they were all out together. High school crushes usually didn't tolerate little siblings, but Santana should have known that Rachel wasn't the average teenager in high school. She was so much more special than that and it was blatantly obvious by the way she laughed along with the twins in the distance.

"Come on, San!" Rachel called from the middle of the oval, after they had completed a lap.

"Uh uh…" Santana said mostly to herself while shaking her head. She didn't want to yell about how she didn't want to attempt to get to the middle because she was awful at ice skating. Things like that just didn't happen in her life.

"Please!"

"No…" Santana mouthed to her girlfriend, still shaking her head but now trying not to smile. "Not happening."

Rachel held out one of her open hands in front of her and smiled widely. "I'll catch you, you won't fall!"

Santana nearly snorted with laughter and tossed her head, having to break eye contact with Rachel to avoid blushing like a fool. "Yeah, sure!"

"Aw, come on, Santana!" Rachel shouted, and then stomped her skate on the ice with a click. "I promise I'll catch you!"

Santana rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to fully balance on her skates. She knew it was going to be a disaster, but what was a few more bruises if it would make her girlfriend happy. Her world had suddenly narrowed even further. Aside from caring for her sisters, the only other thing she really wanted to do was impress Rachel and hold her interest. Because she was still a little wary that the petite brunette was going to come to her senses and realize she had made a mistake.

"You better!" the Latina warned as she inched forward. She hated how silly she must have looked with her hands out for balance, but she focused on Rachel's smile and soon she was slowly approaching her.

Rachel extended her hands for Santana to take and excitedly stated, "You made it!"

Their fingertips had just brushed when gravity took its toll and sent the taller girl sailing forward, easily plowing down the small obstacle in her way.

"Oh, God! Are you okay! I'm so sorry, Rachel!" Santana blathered, sounding panicked as she got to her knees to assess the damage. The petite brunette was on her back and her ear muffs had skittered a few feet away.

Rachel just laughed and pushed herself onto on arm. "You're outrageously cute when you're in a panicked state. Oh, and also when you're frustrated, you get this tiny crease between your brows and it just makes me want to hug you."

"Well, considering you didn't catch me you probably ought to do something to make it up to me," Santana said, feigning seriousness as she pushed at Rachel's shoulder

"Would the hug I spoke of suffice?"

Santana cocked her head thoughtfully. "Hmm, it may, but how about a hug _and_ a kiss? Deal?"

"I can work with that! Deal!" Rachel agreed, moving to fully sit up. Santana shuffled forward on her knees, the cold chill seeping through her jeans no match for the warm feeling she was getting from the flips and dips her stomach was doing.

"I still can't believe you didn't catch me," the Latina playfully scoffed as she moved in. "You just let me fall."

"Maybe I didn't…" Rachel said, and then lightly pressed her lips to her girlfriend's. "But at least you didn't have to do it alone."

While lightly gripping the lapels of Rachel's plaid coat, Santana pulled her in for kiss after kiss. Finding that once they separated and the cool air met her lips, she just needed a little more. It didn't matter that there were plenty of other people bumbling around them as they sat awkwardly, kissing on the ice. Someone could have sliced open their jugular in a freak ice skating accident and they wouldn't have noticed, so they certainly didn't notice the twins charging at them at full force.

"Stop kissing! It's gross!" Noelia screamed as she slammed into Santana's back, making her bite her tongue as she had been in the process of swiping it along Rachel's lower lip.

"Mmm!" Santana yelped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. She was afraid she would drool if she didn't. "You little bitch!"

"Bad word! Bad word! You said a bad word!" Isabel chanted from where she clung to Rachel's back, nearly choking her with the arms wrapped around her neck.

Noelia outwitted her older sister and swiftly skated away, taking advantage of her current lack of coordination. Santana seemed to have forgotten her handicap as she lunged after Noelia and her poor balance could only take her so far before she crumpled in a heap for the infinite time.

Rachel grasped dramatically as she witnessed yet another of Santana's ungraceful blunders. She was beginning to regret bringing the Lopez girls skating. If anyone was going to take a few spills, she expected it to be the two six year olds, not one of the star cheerleaders of her high school. "Are you alright!" she asked, not for the first time that day. "Santana, I must insist that we get you off this ice! It's really not your calling!"

"I'm fine…" Santana said slowly, sounding a little dazed as she sat up with a hand covering her forehead.

When Rachel pushed Santana's hand away she gasped even louder and threw her own hand over her heart. "Omigosh! We have to go right now, I won't have you subjected to these conditions any longer!"

"It's nothing…"

"You have a knot on your head the size of a softball! Don't try to argue with me, Santana!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

And even though the knot was only approximately as big as a golf ball, Santana did _not_ argue. She sat quietly on a chair inside the lobby of the ice skating complex and dutifully let Rachel examine her for signs of medical distress. Including, scrutinizing the size and dilation of her pupils for approximately five minutes and holding fingers up for her to count in a variety of combinations.

"It's just a little bump…"

"Shh…" Rachel urged as she immobilized Santana's face between her hands and stared into her eyes with an extreme, creepy intent. "I think your left pupil is starting to expand more than the other."

"Oh, no it's not!" The Latina finally fought back and shook her head away, sending dark hair flying. She wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but it was kind of reassuring to know that Rachel was so concerned about her all the time. It made her appreciate the tiny brunette in ways she really couldn't explain.

"My sister is tough!" Noelia announced fiercely, as she continued to cling to Santana's side. Since the last fall she had been stuck to her older sister in silent apology.

"That's right!" Santana said with just as much fierceness, while quirking a brow and smirking. Rachel did not look amused at all as she pulled out a chair across from her girlfriend and sat down, crossing her arms to showcase her irritation.

Isabel had already been sitting in the chair beside Rachel's and she looked to be lost in thought, too busy watching her swishing feet to pay attention to the conversation. That was until she perked up with, "Santí is tough just 'cept for when spiders come in the house."

"Aw, come on!" Santana cried and threw her hands in the air exaggeratedly. "Maybe I suck at ice skating and maybe I don't really like spiders, but I'm a Cheerio and that's like practically equivalent to a Marine or something! I can run like a bazillion miles without puking _and_ I can do one handed back hand springs and back flips for days! I don't need no ice skates!"

"Ooh! Do one, S! Do one!" Isabel cheered and clapped her hands together, while vigorously kicking her feet back and forth under her chair.

Santana smiled appreciatively at her sister's enthusiasm, but shook her head. "I can't do one in here. I'll do one later when we get home."

"No one will see! Do it!" Noelia urged, latching onto Santana's shoulder and literally pushing her to do what she wanted.

Rachel huffed loudly as she neatly set her gloves on top of one another on the table, purposefully trying to draw attention to herself. And it worked. "Really girls, don't encourage her. She's endured enough today and I would hate to see her injure herself again trying to do silly tricks."

"Silly tricks! _Silly tricks!_" Santana echoed in disbelief and her face contorted into an expression of offended shock. She pushed herself up from her chair, slid it away from the table with determination and then removed her beret-style hat. The twins became giddy with excitement, already knowing what to expect. "Oh, I'm definitely about to do it now!"

"I don't doubt your talents, Santana. I just feel that it would be more appropriate to engage in gymnastic feats after you've rested and the side effects of a possible concussion have worn off. And while – wait, what are you doing! Get down from there!"

"Can't do that…" Santana finished climbing on top of the table, staying in a stealthy crouched position as she scanned the lobby for any employees' lingering eyes.

When she was in the clear, she stood up, straightened out her coat and then took a deep breath in preparation. Really she didn't need to prepare or even concentrate, she had done this countless times and it was practically like walking to her. She just wanted to make sure that Rachel got a good look at her in her best form; because even if Puck was kind of dumb, his classic words of, 'Even if they try to talk you out of it, chicks really dig that crazy dangerous shit,' were completely true.

"You think I can't do one _silly_ back flip because I have a big ol' goose egg on my head, well I'll show you, Rachel Berry," Santana muttered under her breath.

The petite brunette still seated at the table tried to appear disinterested and said primly, "We'll see how cocky you are when you're trying to kiss me in a neck brace…"

Santana waved her hand dismissively and before the twins could even shout, "Do it!" once more, she was already midway through the back flip and then sticking a perfect landing with a dull thud. She tossed her disheveled hair over her shoulder with a flip of her head and gave Rachel a smug look as she tilted her head. "So?" she prompted, as she planted her hands on her hips.

"I wasn't watching…" the petite brunette lied.

"Don't make me do it again."

"Fine!" Rachel huffed, her tone one of annoyance. "It was very skillful…and decidedly sexy. But the next time you feel that your talent and ego are threatened just because you fail to ice skate properly, you should probably demonstrate something less dangerous to counter it."

Along with the annoyance came thinly masked adoration and Santana knew she wasn't wrong in assuming that Rachel had definitely loved the impromptu performance. And that's why she just couldn't help sweeping up to her and kissing her through smiles and giggles.

"You loved it…"

Rachel turned her face away from Santana's. "I did no such thing."

"Yes, you did," Santana sing songed, brushing her hair back so she could whisper in her ear. She cradled Rachel's face in her palm and kissed her way up to her temple. "You loved it and you can't deny it."

Rachel sighed and instinctively let her body lean into her girlfriend. "Maybe just a little…"

Isabel and Noelia were looking at one another and exchanging mutual expressions of disgust over all the kissing going on. But even though they were more worried about cootie exposure, they couldn't deny that both of the teenagers – especially Santana – were giddier than they could ever remember seeing them.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"They'll be out cold 'til morning," Santana informed as she hung up her coat on the rack and looked to the two little ice skaters who had gone straight to the couch. The twins could barely keep their eyes open during any car ride, let alone after several hours of ice skating.

"What about us?" Rachel teased. She was still sitting on the hardwood floor from having sat down to take off her boots. Santana wasn't the only one to suffer a few falls throughout the day and Rachel had found that it took a lot less energy and aching to stay on the floor than to stand.

Santana kicked off one of her own boots and let it land on its side, then did the same with the other. "After a bottle of ibuprofen I might be able to sleep."

Rachel lightly hummed her amusement, too tired to even speak. When the Latina offered her hand she took it and rose to her feet with a long groan. "Our first date was more relaxing…"

"Fo' sho'," Santana was fully prepared for the scolding nudge she got for using the slang and she silently marveled at how in tune she was to Rachel's actions after just a short amount of time. "But I think I know how we can relax…"

"And how might that be?"

"Hot tub, baby!"

Rachel's face spread into a languid, sleepy smile and she sighed deeply. "That sounds heavenly."

"You got that right," Santana agreed as she held tight to her girlfriend's hand and began trudging up the stairs to her room. Each of them was so preoccupied by their bruised and sore bodies that they didn't even realize what exactly using the hot tub meant – way less clothing and way more exposure of said bodies.

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**So San is definitely lovesick and a little insane over Rach, but that's the way it should be, right! The resolution to the whole San/Noelia rift will come in the next chapter, after the hot tubbing! ;) Thanks for reading and let me know what you think, please! **


	11. Killing Me Softly

**AN: Geez, I just can't seem to stop writing all of this fluff! This one is probably even more fluffier than the last, so hopefully you like it! ;) Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and alerts. And since I can't respond personally, thank you to my anonymous reviewers JC, Coa, Update soon, and a glee fan! Like I said, this chapter is a lot of fluff, but it has purpose behind it as always! Also, I know I said the resolution between San and Noelia would be in this chapter, but I got carried away writing San and Rach so that will come in the following chapter. Enjoy and thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I just don't own it... :(**

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Chapter 11 – Killing Me Softly

Santana had walked behind Rachel and stared at her swaying hips the entire way down to the hot tub in the basement, her jaw practically unhinged. It was a good thing she was carrying the towels over her shoulder, that way she could discreetly wipe away the saliva that had a good chance of running down her chin. She never would have expected Rachel's body to be so killer, but it was just about killing her now.

When Rachel planted her feet on the bottom step leading into the hot tub Santana's eyes nearly popped out of her skull and rolled across the floor. The little figure before her – with deceptively long legs – was bending forward over the tub and attempting to remove the cover. And while normally the Latina would have come to the rescue with her well hidden chivalry, she just could _not_ stop staring. She was bending at the waist herself and cocking her head to the side, trying to get the best view possible. Rachel Berry had the most fabulous ass to ever grace a string bikini.

"Ugh, got it!" Rachel announced as she finally flipped the heavy cover off. "What are you doing, Santana?"

"Nothing!" Santana nearly shouted after almost being caught. She quickly clutched at the towels on her shoulder and said, "I just dropped one of the towels."

Rachel gave her an odd, questioning look and then slowly transformed her face into a smile. "You certainly do act differently at home than you do at school."

Santana disregarded the comment and went straight for the steaming water, quickly splashing in as if she was jumping into a tub of ice water because that's what she really needed. "No way," she insisted, and then ducked her head under the water. It didn't matter if she was submerged in the burning liquid; her brain was already melted into goo anyway. She came back up and swiped the water from her eyes. "I always act like this."

"Hmm…" Rachel hummed wonderingly as she delicately placed her feet into the water, taking the time to get used to the temperature by sitting on the edge. She swept her hair over one shoulder to tie it up and tried not to look at the droplets trailing down the smooth, caramel colored skin of Santana's equally bare neck. "I don't recall…"

"Well, I do…" Santana said nonchalantly, then closed her eyes and laid her head back. She rolled it from side to side and then held it up again. "This water is really hot. I think my dad turned the temperature up or something and I hate that, I feel like I'm being cooked. This is annoying. Do you think it's too hot?"

"I think you need to stop being so nervous, that's what I think," Rachel stated truthfully, with a knowing yet gentle smile. She then flicked her fingertips in the water and splashed her flustered girlfriend.

Santana scoffed, splashed back, and gave an obviously nervous chuckle. "I'm not nervous!"

"Oh really, because right now you're talking even more than I do," Rachel said and raised her brow, daring the other girl to argue with her.

"I'm not nervous," Santana disagreed, taking on the dare. She furrowed her own brows together and crossed her arms over her chest; it was evident that she was trying to think of something to say. "I'm not…I'm just tired and sore from all that skating."

"You mean all that falling!"

Santana glared in Rachel's general direction and crossed her arms tighter, then dropped her hard gaze to the rippling surface of the water. For being such a self proclaimed badass, Santana Lopez could definitely get her pout on.

"Aww, sweetie," Rachel gushed, not at all hesitating in taking the bait. Scaling the molded seats carefully, she waded her way through the water to sit on the edge next to Santana. Even without being used to sleepovers where most friends would play with each other's hair, Rachel's fingertips still found the Latina's sleek black ponytail and toyed with the wet silky strands. "Other people were falling a lot too."

Santana tossed her head and grumbled, "Not as much as me."

Taking her butterfly inducing actions one step further, Rachel moved her legs so that one hung over into the water on each side of Santana, practically over her shoulders. The change in position set Santana's heart to racing, especially when her still brand-new girlfriend took it one large leap further and shifted forward so she was almost straddling her neck.

"Is this okay, San?"

"Y-yeah…" Santana almost stammered, but thought she masked the hesitation well enough. They were so close that all she had to do was lay her head back again and it would be rested on either one of Rachel's inner thighs.

As if all of their small yet electrifying points of contact weren't enough, Rachel kept with the fingers in the hair and slowly moved her way into massaging Santana's scalp. It started at the back of her head, taking out her hair tie and letting the black waves spill all over. Then it progressed to fingertips at her temples, gently caressing and guiding her head back.

"Helping your nerves?" Rachel asked in a whisper, as she looked down at her girlfriend and smiled softly. Santana's head was lying in her lap and her dark eyes had fluttered shut, the angle making it easy to see her long full lashes against her cheekbones.

"I'm not nervous…" Santana whispered back. She was telling the truth now, the light caresses were calming her considerably even if her head was essentially between Rachel's thighs.

"Don't lie…" Rachel said playfully and then moved her right hand down over Santana's neck to settle her palm over her pulse point. "I'll be able to tell."

"I promise…" Santana said in a hushed tone, almost like she was close to falling asleep with the fingertips playing along her skin and hair. "I'm not nervous…not anymore."

Rachel lowered her head so that their lips were just inches away from one another, while sliding her palm up to the underside of the other girl's chin. "Okay, good…because I don't want you to be nervous with me."

"Mmm," Santana murmured, with eyes still closed. She had had sex countless times, but with the part of her brain that was still slightly lucid and not hazy with everything Rachel, she thought of how this moment was more intimate than any she had ever experienced. A few people may have known her body in ways that Rachel had yet to, but no one had ever known her mind like this or made her feel as content or as comfortable all at once.

Rachel held Santana's head gently as she bent over her; just enough to show that she was dominant in the situation and just enough to not put her on edge. It was evident that she meant for the action to lead to a kiss or a few, but for a while she was content just studying Santana's gorgeously peaceful face and knowing she had gotten it to be that way.

A hand wrapped around Rachel's calf beneath the water and kept its grasp. "Rachel," Santana whispered as she tilted her head further back, blindly trying to find her girlfriend's lips and trusting that she would be received. "Kiss me…"

"Always," Rachel told her and then closed the small distance between their mouths. Santana relaxed into the kiss she so desperately wanted and parted her lips, letting Rachel's tongue be the one to explore her first.

Naturally, Santana usually played the role of the aggressor, but laid out before Rachel she had definitely fallen into something more submissive. Not because she was being pushed to, but because she felt safe enough to give Rachel that power. She couldn't just move her head away if she wanted, she had to wait for Rachel to break the kiss for her.

Whether it was due to her own reservations or not wanting to push too hard, Rachel was ever so gentle and while Santana liked the delicate interactions she still couldn't figure them out. "You don't have to be so careful with me," Santana whispered when Rachel lifted her face to breath. "I won't break."

"Shh…" The petite brunette didn't bother with an answer, she just continued with her soft kisses. First, catching Santana fully on the lips and then straying to each one separately. After she had had her fill for the moment, she moved to Santana's cheeks and worked her way up to her forehead, where she finished by placing a feather light kiss to the bump there. "And one for your boo-boo," she whispered.

Santana hummed a laugh and hugged Rachel's leg to her side under the water. She instinctively turned her face inward to get closer, but when her cheek brushed with slippery swimsuit material and her nose bumped into Rachel's hipbone she immediately snapped her head up. "Sorry," she mumbled, straightening out her body so that she was facing directly away again and breaking the spell.

Rachel felt like her internal temperature was rising into a blush because she knew exactly why Santana was apologizing for getting _that_ close. "It's alright," she tried to reassure, and placed her hand on the Latina's shoulder. Truly, it wasn't a big deal. It was just thought provoking, albeit unintentionally so.

Trying to bring back the easiness that they had had before, Rachel asked, "So, you're scared of spiders, huh? That just doesn't seem possible, not big bad Santana."

"Aren't all girls afraid of them?" Santana huffed.

"I'm not really…"

"Well, I don't know."

"So if one were to do this…" Rachel began walking her fingers down Santana's arm and smiled as she flinched and goose bumps rose over her flesh despite their warm surroundings.

Rachel leaned down to place a kiss on her neck in apology for her teasing and Santana ducked her head into her shoulder from the ticklish touch, giggling, "Stop it!"

They laughed together for a few more moments while Rachel continued to pepper kisses along Santana's neck, then lapsed into silence again.

"Are you ever going to get in here with me?" Santana questioned after a while, giving her girlfriend's foot a purposeful tug.

"Sit forward," Rachel advised, and then slipped into the hot tub so that when Santana sat back she was lying with her head on her chest. "How's that?" she asked, finding the other girl's hands and clasping them over her toned stomach.

"Um…good," Santana managed to say. It was more than just good. Being wrapped up in the girl who was continually bringing down her guard had to be close to sheer perfection.

"You know…" the petite brunette began, resting her chin on the shoulder in front of her. She was glad Santana was allowing them to be so close without jittering with nerves, because it had finally dawned on Rachel that she was hers to hold and it was all she wanted to do. "I know that you're quite a little rebel by nature and all, but you don't have to try so hard to impress me. I don't care if you know how to ice skate or if you're afraid of spiders or anything else for that matter. I like you for who you are already, and it's okay to not excel at everything and to be afraid sometimes."

Suddenly the linked fingers and arms enveloping Santana's waist seemed like a bit much and she squirmed, trying to resist the urge to pull away by turning her forehead against Rachel's neck. "Rachel…" she said quietly, almost as a soft warning.

"Santana…" Rachel echoed back, attempting to coax her girlfriend even further out of her shell by not backing down.

The Latina sighed roughly and her warm breath made Rachel's skin feel even hotter and stickier. "I don't like talking about this sort of stuff."

"Why?"

"I just…" Santana shifted some more, turning her head away and then back in again like she was looking for the words to say. "I don't know why, but I just don't." The position she was in wasn't as comfortable as it had been and she tried to unwrap Rachel's arms from her body, only to have them put right back.

"No, stay with me," the petite brunette behind her gently instructed. When Santana settled her head back again with another deep sigh, Rachel spoke softly in her ear. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I don't want to know your flaws and your fears to tear you down because of them. I want to know them so I can take care of you, so I can be there when you're afraid or when you need help. That's all I want, Santana."

"Ugh, Rachel," Santana weakly growled.

Rachel just giggled and pulled her girlfriend closer, nuzzling the sides of their faces together. "What, baby?"

"Rachel!" Santana whined sharply. The pet name totally ruined any chance of her keeping her distance and a smile crept onto her face before she even knew it. She hated how she was losing control, but at the same time she loved it and she knew it was exactly what she needed.

"Just talk to me!" Rachel laughed.

Santana sat up and turned around, then knelt in front of Rachel so that only the tops of her shoulders were visible out of the water. "I'm supposed to take care of you," she said seriously, making the slight smile on the petite brunette's face fall away. "That's what I _am_ good at."

"We're supposed to take care of each other."

Taking Rachel's hands into hers, Santana brought them up and pressed the knuckles to her lips. Then she let her head bow and pressed them to her forehead. "You're making this hard for me."

"I was trying to make it easier," she said back, now sounding uncertain.

"I know…I know, Rach," Santana said as she shook her head, but kept it against Rachel's hands. "You're just making it hard for me to stay strong."

"What do you have to be strong against?" Rachel asked, sitting forward so that their heads were close together again. Even though the movements were miniscule, Rachel could feel the scrunch of Santana's muscles beneath her brow on her fingers.

When she received no answer, Rachel pulled her hands away and used them to bring Santana's face up so their eyes could meet. "Look at me, San. Tell me what you have to be strong against?"

"Everything…" Santana finally whispered, her voice sounding tortured. She looked away as soon as she uttered the words but didn't close her eyes, allowing the glassiness gathering on her lower lids to be easily seen.

"Does that include me?" Rachel questioned, her own voice beginning to sound tight as she lifted her head.

"No…well, yes…" Santana stated honestly, while rapidly blinking back tears. "I have to be strong because…because even though it's only been a few days I'm scared of how bad it will hurt if I lose you now. There, that's something I'm afraid of and I don't know why but I am." She kept her gaze directly away from her girlfriend's and bit her lip.

"I told you I didn't want to hurt you and that not everyone wants to leave you, and you know I meant myself when I said that," Rachel gently turned Santana's head towards her again and looked at her pleadingly. "I just want to know you and you told me that you wanted that too."

"I do, but…" Santana squeezed her eyes closed and her lips parted as they trembled. "But sometimes you can't help leaving."

And just like that, Rachel suddenly knew exactly what her enigmatic girlfriend was referring to – she was afraid of losing people like she had lost her mother. She put her forehead against Santana's and held her cheeks to keep her place as she whispered, "I know, San, and I wish I could tell you that that wasn't true but I can't. What happened to your mom doesn't happen to everyone…you have to give me a chance. You have to give yourself a chance to be happy."

"How did you know I was talking about her?" Santana asked softly as she brought her hands up to cover Rachel's. She was fighting against herself again. She wanted to flee, but at the same time she knew she could never get to where she wanted to be without a fight.

"I can just tell…" Rachel told her.

"This is why you make it so hard," Santana choked out. "You just know me without even trying and it reminds me of my mom…" She paused to take a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check even though Rachel could practically feel her body buzzing with tension. "And of how bad it hurt when she died."

The petite brunette pulled back and waited for Santana to open her eyes before asking quietly, "I remind you of your mom?" The confession was surprising, flattering, and unnerving all at once. She wasn't sure if she could live up to whatever comparison Santana was making.

"Is that weird?" Santana sniffled, and her brows pinched together as if she were in pain. And it definitely caused Rachel pain to see the expression.

The Latina looked too vulnerable for Rachel to admit that it wasn't weird, but at least a little frightening. Santana was trying so hard to be open with her even when she had said outright that she didn't like where the conversation was going. So, flashing a comforting smile, Rachel told her, "It's not weird…I'm glad you feel that way. It must be a good thing, right?"

"Psh, I – I think so, I hope so," Santana scoffed, rolling her eyes despite the quiver in her voice. "It's just that you do _this_ to me!" she said and removed her hand from the water to gesture at her misty eyes. "You can _talk_ talk to me and reduce me to tears without actually upsetting me or making me feel like a complete loser. I feel…I guess I feel comfortable with you, it's just takes me a while to let myself get there. I'm so used to trying to be an unfeeling bitch that it's hard to break the habit."

And then Rachel's lips stretched into a wide smile and she smashed their mouths together in a hurried, excited kiss. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered between pecks. "Really, I am. Look how far you've come in just a few days."

"With you anyway," Santana smiled sadly.

Rachel nodded understandingly and remained her positive self as she smoothed the Latina's black hair back with her palms. "It's a start and then before you know it the bitch will be dead and buried, and you'll be so unwaveringly nice and enthusiastic that you'll rival even me!"

Santana's face went blank at that comment and she slowly let her head sink under the surface, bubbles coming up in its wake.

"Get up here!" Rachel demanded with a laugh and pulled her girlfriend from the water. "Maybe that was too strong of a comparison!"

Catching Rachel off guard and making her yelp in surprise, Santana spit a stream of water from her mouth right into her face. "Ya think!" she then laughed.

Wiping her eyes and glaring, the petite brunette mumbled, "And maybe we'll have to work on your manners to…"

Santana was all sly smirks now. "Oh, I gots manners," she said cockily, as she raised herself up and put a knee on either side of Rachel's waist so she could sit facing her in her lap. When all of their overheated skin came together Santana felt like she was going to die, but at least she would die happy. She then guided Rachel's head back, exposing her neck so she could place light kisses there and swipe at stray water droplets with her tongue.

"How did we go from that to this?" Rachel whispered, sounding more than a little amused as she kept her fingers threaded in dark hair.

"Because you send my emotions all over the place…"

"Oh, really? And what emotion is this?"

"I don't know," Santana hummed against her ear. "I just want to be close to you."

"Well, as wonderful as that sounds, I'm afraid that if I let you keep going we're going to end up too close too fast," Rachel breathed out, while moving herself away a little.

Santana jumped back immediately and began to pull away, trying to get off of Rachel. "Sorry, I'm so sorry…I wasn't trying to do anything, I just thought –"

"Calm down," Rachel gently advised. "We can be close," she said as she looped her arms around Santana's back and brought their bodies together again. "You just can't keep kissing me like that…my rigid self control seems to be defenseless against you."

"Should I be taking that as a compliment?" Santana questioned, pursing her lips as if she was trying to figure it out. She may have been playing dumb, but internally she knew exactly what Rachel meant. It meant that she wanted her just as badly.

"A very big compliment," Rachel told her.

They quieted and Santana used the pause in conversation to hug her girlfriend close and lay her cheek on her shoulder. Rachel ran her fingertips in random patterns over Santana's back, making her sigh. Their bodies were melded closer and closer together the more that Santana relaxed and soon there was no space between them. It wasn't awkward though, they were too tired for their closeness to be anything but innocent.

"You're falling asleep," whispered Rachel, feeling her own eyelids getting heavy. The hot water and weight against her would be enough to lull anyone to sleep.

"Nuh uh…" Santana murmured as she snuggled closer.

"Seems like the twins aren't going to be the only ones out cold tonight, San."

The Latina mumbled something unintelligible, making it even more obvious that she was half way to unconsciousness. Rachel giggled and gave her girlfriend a little squeeze, to which she hardly responded. For Rachel, having Santana asleep in her arms was like wiping the slate clean of any insult and injury they had ever caused each other. If Santana could trust her like that, then she could forgive her for their less than friendly past.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" a low, breathy voice asked.

"I thought you fell asleep…" Rachel replied, closing her eyes at the sensation of Santana's lips brushing her collarbone as she spoke.

"Almost," she sighed. "But I don't wanna get up if you have to leave after. Stay…we can practice cuddling."

"I think we already are," Rachel pointed out and reached up to pet the Latina's damp hair. "But yes, I'll stay. I may have already told my dads that I would be staying over."

Santana made a little noise of excitement that Rachel would have never thought her capable of until recently. "Oh, well then we should keep practicing. But let's go up to my room, pillows and blankets are so much better for cuddling than hot tubs."

"I'll second that."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"So, this relationship is getting pretty intense already, don't you think?" Santana asked, as she hopped up onto the countertop next to the bathroom sink and sat cross legged. She had a tube of toothpaste in one hand and a purple and a green toothbrush clutched in the other.

"Why is that?" Rachel questioned back, her voice muffled from her face being buried in a towel after washing it.

Santana held out the green toothbrush when Rachel turned to her and smiled brightly, albeit a little sleepily. "You already have a toothbrush in my bathroom and we've been dating for not even three days."

Rachel shook her head with a laugh, took the offered item, and then snatched the toothpaste away as well. "It's not my fault you keep asking me to stay."

The Latina gasped and dropped her hands into her lap. "Rachel, you've wounded me," she said, looking down and pushing out her lower lip. "Don't you want to stay with me?"

"You're quite the jester, my dear girlfriend," Rachel said and then began brushing her teeth. Though she carefully removed the toothbrush soon after to continue speaking. "And may I ask why you're sitting up there?"

Santana just shrugged, already having shoved her own toothbrush into her mouth to brush noisily. "Ar yike when you car me dat an' ar arways do dis," she managed to say through a mouthful of spit and toothpaste. "It's ow I gots sucha grood grill."

Without a hint of toothpaste on her lips – unlike Santana who likened a rabid dog – Rachel haughtily replied, "I have no idea what you just said, but I certainly hope it was more ladylike than how it appeared." She continued brushing after an eye roll, but snapped her head up in shock when her girlfriend made an indecent sound and then spit into the sink.

"_I said,_ I like when you call me that – you know, your girlfriend. And I always do this…it's how I got such a good grill!" Santana exclaimed with a cheesy grin that showcased said "grill."

"Lovely, and I'm glad you like it," Rachel deadpanned.

Continuing to bare her teeth like a crazed person, the other girl said proudly, "You know it! Now, onto the mouthwash! Gotsta keep it fresh!" Each of them was trying not to laugh, but as their eyes briefly met in the mirror's reflection they could see the glint of amusement in the other's eyes. Santana knocked back a swig of the electric blue liquid as if she was taking a shot of alcohol and proceeded to gargling obnoxiously.

"Alright, enough!" Rachel laughed after a few moments. She slapped the back of her hand into Santana's stomach, making her jump in surprise and choke mouthwash all down the front of the old Cheerio's shirt she had put on. She quickly spit the rest of it into the sink, coughing and sputtering as she did.

"You almost killed me!" she half laughed, half choked out.

"I guess you shouldn't do childish things then."

"I thought you were invested in good oral hygiene," Santana said and then brought her hand to her mouth, still continuing to cough. "Geez, Rach, now I need mouth to mouth!"

Rachel took her time putting her toothbrush into the holder and then turned to Santana, placing her hand on her hip and arching her brow pointedly. "Well…" she said slowly. "I am certified in CPR. My dads insisted that it was a highly practical skill to posses and I couldn't have agreed more."

"Then let's go, woman!" Santana waved her on with watery eyes and then gave a few more coughs that were much more fake than real. "I'm dyin' here!"

To shut her up more than anything, Rachel grabbed Santana by the front of her t-shirt and pulled their mouths together. It couldn't be denied that Santana's antics had purpose. She always tasted amazing, but now her lips and tongue were cool to the touch and slippery with sweetness as Rachel sucked them into her mouth.

"Minty fresh," the petite brunette whispered after their lips separated.

"Told ya." Santana kissed Rachel's cheek, leaving a cooling sensation on her skin. "That's how I likes ta keep it…always fresh."

"And cocky," Rachel said in her ear, turning her head so more kisses could be rained down over her jaw.

"Just so you don't know I'm more nervous than anything…"

Rachel stood on her tip toes so she could kiss Santana's lips again. "We already talked about this, you're not supposed to be nervous with me."

"I can't help it and I don't really think it's a bad thing," the Latina breathed out and looked into Rachel's eyes with a silently fierce sincerity. "It's just because…because I like you so much. I don't want to mess up."

"You're not going to mess up," Rachel told her as she held out her hands to help her off the countertop. She wasn't going to dwell on Santana's words because she was truly convinced that they could make it work between them. The only thing that could possibly bring them down was school and gossip, but they were bonding so quickly that soon they would just be a force to be reckoned with. "Now, come on, it's time for cuddle practice."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Cuddle practice turned out to be the most relaxing and enjoyable type of practice that either girl had ever participated in. There was no running laps or repeatedly singing scales, just a dimly lit room and Santana and Rachel huddled together in the middle of the bed. They lied on their sides facing one another, so close that their foreheads and the tips of their noses touched. They hardly spoke, but instead went in and out of dozing off and reawaking to kiss some more.

At a time when Rachel had succumbed to sleep, Santana traced her fingertip over a dark eyebrow, a cheekbone, and then a cutely bowed top lip. Rachel twitched in her sleep from the touch and Santana smiled to herself. She never knew she could feel so connected to someone she used to dislike, and especially in such a short amount of time. And even though she was only sixteen something and she had never been in love before, she did know that whatever she was feeling had to be the beginning of just that. How could she not fall in love with someone who not only cared for her, but for her sisters as well?

But along with the strange tingly, happy feelings there was also a throb in her head and an ache in her bruised knees. Reluctantly, she pushed herself up to go fetch some ibuprofen from the bathroom, but before she could go far Rachel was asking, "Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom, I have to get something for this headache…"

"I'll get it," Rachel said as she sat up.

They began a little race as Santana got off the bed, trying to be faster than her girlfriend. "No, no, I'll get it. You can go back to sleep."

"Really, Santana, I insist. If you're not feeling well you should be the one lying down." Rachel countered, catching the Latina's wrist as she started to walk towards the door. She turned her around and gave her a push back to the bed. "Go, I'll take care of you. I'm the one who subjected you to the ice skating after all."

"Yeah, but I'm not a baby…" Santana lightly laughed as she complied and got under the comforter again.

Rachel moved to the door and then stopped, calling back, "This is never going to work if you don't accept the fact that you're my baby now," before disappearing into the hallway. When she came back with a glass of water and a bottle of pills, Santana had to pinch her leg beneath the blankets to remind herself that she wasn't dreaming again.

"Here's your water," Rachel announced as she handed Santana the glass. She held back on the plastic bottle though, opting to open it herself and shake out two pills in her hand. "Okay, open," she said, waiting for Santana to open her mouth.

Santana looked up at her through her lashes and shook her head with a smirk, and then she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. "Thanks, Mary Poppins," she teased, after taking a sip of water and swallowing the pills.

Rachel's eyes lit up. "I loved that musical when I was young! How did you know!"

"Lucky guess, I suppose. But instead of a spoonful of sugar, I think a kiss would help the medicine go down better." Santana lifted the blankets, urging Rachel to slip back under them with her.

"It's worth a try," she shrugged, swiftly rolling Santana onto her back and making her squeak in surprise as she pressed their lips together.

* * *

**:D Super fluff, right! I'm hoping you all don't think San is being too soft, I just feel like after not having much attention she needs a little extra spoiling! She'll be her usual tough self when they go back to school, which is happening two chapters from now! Thanks again and let me know what you think, if you would please!**


	12. A Time To Remember

**AN: Hey, ya'll! So I felt really bad that I kept you guys waiting for a week again, but this chapter turned into a MONSTER (hope you all like long chapters!) and even though it was a week I was like writing my face off to get it done. Hopefully the next one won't take as long! Once again, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, and just everything! They truly do mean a lot to me! :) So, this chapter deals with a lot of emotional stuff for both girls and there are probably a few parts where I might break your heart, but it gets better! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still not owning...**

* * *

Chapter 12 – A Time To Remember

The following morning when Rachel woke up, she found Santana sprawled out on her stomach and she just didn't have the heart to wake her too. It appeared that she was still in a deep sleep by the way she had her face buried in the sheets and her hair spilled over everywhere. So, Rachel left her with a kiss on the forehead and then quietly made her way down to the living room, heading for the kitchen.

As she tried to creep along without making a sound, a head of dark messy hair popped up from the couch and asked curiously, "Whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, good morning, Noelia," Rachel greeted. The little girl seemed happy that she had been correctly identified, but she didn't have to know that Rachel could only tell the difference because Isabel still had faint scratch marks on her face. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No…I wanted to watch cartoons. Is is still sleeping," Noelia explained, showing her the remote to the flat screen television that hung on the wall. "You wanna watch with me? I'll share my blanket with you."

Rachel couldn't fight the smile that took over her face. She was truly appreciative for the twins' openness. "I would love to!" Noelia patted the couch beside her and once Rachel sat down she spread the blanket out over them and grinned up at the older girl.

The two sat close together and each time something funny would happen during the shows Noelia giggled and buried her face against Rachel's arm, making her laugh as well. Secretly, Rachel thought that half the fun of being with Santana was being able to hang out with her adorable sisters as well. It was like having a surrogate Santana when the real one was still crashed in bed.

"Guess what's on next!" Noelia said mysteriously and tugged at Rachel's arm in excitement.

Back in the day, Rachel would have certainly known the morning line-up of cartoons, but not so much anymore. "I don't know! What!" Rachel asked with just as much enthusiasm, enjoying the way the little girl puffed up proudly at the fact that she knew.

"Scooby doo! It's my favorite!"

"Really?" Rachel smiled, surprised that someone her age favored the older cartoon over the multitude of newer ones that had gone on the air. "I used to watch it when I was little too!"

"I know!" Noelia gushed as she bounced slightly and still clung to her arm. "Santí told me it's her favorite and that she used to watch it with mami, so it's my favorite too!"

"Aww," Rachel couldn't help but say. The mental image of a baby Santana watching cartoons with her mother was too cute for words, especially considering that she didn't have her mother anymore. It also made Rachel a little envious in the best possible way, while she had two loving fathers she had never had a mother. Hearing the small snippet of Santana's childhood made Rachel want to hear more, both to know more about her girlfriend and to satisfy her curiosity about that type of a bond.

While Noelia cackled about Scooby snacks and zombies, Rachel tried to imagine more scenarios from when Santana was younger. Lima being a small town, they had gone to school together since kindergarten but their paths never really crossed until high school and Glee club. They had known of one another and Rachel could even remember when she had heard through the elementary school grapevine that one of her classmates' mothers had been killed in the car accident that had been splashed across the newspapers.

At the time, Rachel hadn't truly understood the magnitude of the situation. But she did know that when she would see the tanned skinned, dark haired little girl known as Santana Lopez sobbing in the nurse's office, it made a part of her own small heart hurt as well. She knew what it felt like to miss her mother, in fact she still did and she had never even had her mother like Santana once had.

"Wasn't that funny!" Noelia laughed as the end credits rolled up the screen.

Rachel hadn't realized how long she had been lost in thought, but she put on a smile and nodded for Noelia's sake. "It was humorous, I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Noelia laughed even harder at the explanation and wrapped her arms around the taller brunette, snuggling close to her. "You're funny too!"

"Noelia, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yep!"

"I wanted to talk to you about why you were mad at Santana yesterday," Rachel told her, feeling a twinge of guilt when Noelia went still against her. If she was anything like her older sibling – which she was – then it was already a known fact that she wouldn't really care for this conversation. "She didn't mean to upset you, you know? She was just excited to go out and she didn't realize that she made you sad."

"I know…" Noelia grudgingly said, her voice taking on a cool tone.

"Santana loves you and Isabel so much, she would never hurt or leave you two," Rachel gently explained, while hoping that she was being understood. She was even toning down her usual vocabulary. "And I want you to know that just because I'm Santana's girlfriend that doesn't mean that I want to take her away from you. You and Isabel mean a lot to San, and since she means so much to me, you two do as well. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I think so…" the little girl said slowly, and then looked up at Rachel. "You like Santí a lot, so you like me and Is a lot too?"

"Exactly," Rachel agreed with one of her winning smiles. "And if either of you ever need help or you want someone to talk to, you can come to me, okay?"

"Okay!" Noelia echoed back, now sounding pleased. She grinned up at the older girl again and then looked down bashfully. The Lopez girls were experts at making someone fall in love with them.

"Perfect! Now, would you like to help me get breakfast together for your sisters?"

"Are we gonna be vegans!" Noelia asked excitedly, as she nearly yanked Rachel's arm off while jumping off the couch and pulling her towards the kitchen.

As Rachel jogged along behind, she laughed, "Well, I don't know how much Santana would appreciate that this morning, but I'll cut up some fruit for you so you can be a vegan."

"Yes!"

Noelia did more aimless chattering than helping while Rachel made pancakes, grimacing and thinking about innocent chickens and cows as she broke open the eggs and poured the milk. After she had finished with those, she began peeling a banana for Noelia when suddenly a near lifeless being shuffled into the room.

"Good morning, Santana. You slept well, I take it?" Rachel asked, smiling at her girlfriend as she stood next to Noelia.

Santana didn't answer; she just reached up to scratch her scalp where her loose ponytail had shifted to the side of her head. She normally never slept as late as she had and she felt as if she couldn't wake up. She squinted her eyes closed and then opened them wide to focus on everything that was going on in the kitchen, but she still seemed confused.

"Are you alright?"

"She's a zombie!"

Rachel gave the smaller Latina a chiding glance. "Noelia, that's no way to greet your big sister." Then she leaned forward to whisper in the little girl's ear so Santana wouldn't hear her, if she was even capable of hearing yet. "Remember what we talked about? Maybe you should give her a hug or something."

"Oh, yeah!" Noelia exclaimed, nodding her head vigorously and then jumping down from her chair. She rushed up to Santana and threw her arms around her waist, nearly knocking her off her feet. "G'morning, Santí, I love you!"

The short, yet powerful phrase pulled Santana out of her daze and she knelt down to her knees, wincing a little as she did. Noelia may not have made it explicitly clear as to what the greeting was supposed to mean, but Santana didn't need an explanation to know exactly what it meant. They were bonded enough to be able to understand one another without words. It was the reconciliation she had been hoping for since she had laid in Noelia's bed with her the day before.

Santana pulled her sister close, placing one hand at the back of her head to guide it down to her shoulder. "I love you too, Noelia, so much. I'm sorry."

Noelia began squirming away as any six-year-old would, to get back to her breakfast. But as she went she said cheerfully, "It's okay, I know you didn't mean to upset me!"

It made Santana smile because she knew that her sister hadn't come up with that one on her own. As she stood up again her eyes found Rachel's before she walked over to her and scooped her up into a hug, squeezing her so tight that her toes left the floor for a moment. "You're kind of amazing, you know that, Rachel?" she whispered into her girlfriend's dark brown hair.

"Of course," she said playfully. "So did you sleep well? You never answered."

"So, _so_ well," Santana rasped into Rachel's ear and then kissed the sensitive skin below it. "But no morning cuddle practice? I missed you."

"You just looked so beautiful this morning that I couldn't bear to wake you up."

"Ha!" Santana said, tossing her head back. "There's nothing beautiful about this look!"

Rachel captured the Latina's face between her hands and guided it down to hers. It was true that Santana had been in a disheveled state when she left her, but there really was something beautiful about how relaxed and at ease she had appeared. "It's beautiful to me," she smiled, and then kissed the other girl.

By the time Santana was able to pull herself away for breath, her cheeks were flushed. It was something she just couldn't seem to control anymore, especially since Rachel was such an extreme flatterer. "Get outta here with that, you're lying," she laughed.

"Fine, don't believe me," Rachel said with a shrug, pushing Santana towards a chair. "Now, sit. I made you breakfast or at least I attempted it. I'm not very well versed in the process of cooking the products of overworked animals, _but_…that's your problem now." She set plates in front of Santana, who was making a disbelieving face and Noelia, who just didn't care, before turning back around to find another little Lopez staring at her tiredly.

"Hi, Rachel…" Isabel said a tad shyly.

"Hey there," Rachel answered, and then looked over to her girlfriend to see her smiling as she began to eat. "Are you hungry? I made breakfast for you and your sisters."

The young girl nodded, but instead of going to her usual seat she went up to Rachel and rested her head against her without saying a word. After a short hesitation, Rachel patted her head and then hugged her back.

"What can I say?" Santana said out loud. "We likes to get our snuggles on."

"Apparently so" Rachel added as she guided Isabel to eat beside her twin. She took the seat that she had purposely left open next to Santana; there would be no longing glances from across the table this time. "So, ladies," she said while picking up her orange juice. "Are you excited for Christmas! It's only two days away!"

Santana felt her stomach drop and nearly lost her fork as it ascended to her mouth, but was able to swiftly recover while the twins began ranting about everything they wanted for said holiday. With having a new girlfriend serving as a thorough distraction, she had completely forgotten that Christmas Eve – along with another much less celebratory event – was only the very next day. Her pulse began to speed up and suddenly her appetite was gone.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she announced a little too quickly, automatically alerting Rachel to something being wrong.

"We just sat down…" Rachel pointed out. Even though she knew that the information was painfully obvious.

"Um, I know," Santana said, looking distracted and confused over what she should do with her plate. Her thoughts were being consumed and her brain was shutting down to the most simple of tasks, she had to get away. "I'm just…I'll hurry, I'll be back down in a few." She set her plate in the sink and then dashed from the kitchen, leaving Rachel to sit worrying with the twins. Who were normally so in tune with their older sister, but had been distracted by the prospect of Christmas morning.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Santana?" Rachel called as she stood in the upstairs hallway, knocking on her girlfriend's bedroom door. "It's me."

The door opened moments later to reveal a freshly showered Santana, who was sporting an obviously fake smile. "Hey…" she said enticingly, her voice low as if she hadn't just practically caused a scene at breakfast. She shook her wet hair out of her face, making a stray piece fall across her left eye. And it would have been even sexier if it wasn't so apparent that she was trying to be distracting.

"Okay, seductress Santana, enough," Rachel said firmly, pushing past the door and into the room. "What just happened down there? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Santana mumbled, turning her attention to her vanity mirror and picking up a comb. She began running it through her hair, being not at all careful as she encountered snarls in the thick black waves.

Somewhat aware of what was happening, Rachel went to her and carefully took the comb from her hand. "Stop it, San," she gently instructed. "Just tell me what's wrong? Does it have something to do with Christmas, or your dad, maybe?"

"Close…"

"Tell me, please…maybe I can help."

Santana sighed deeply. "I just don't like Christmas, okay?" She moved to reach for something else, but Rachel caught her wrist before she could and turned her around.

The taller girl flinched and brought her captured wrist and the hand it was wrapped in up to her chest, a scowl marring her features as if she might lash out. Rachel let go and disappointment flashed in her eyes from Santana's reaction.

"Nevermind…" the petite brunette said under her breath, looking down at the carpeting in between them. "I won't push you, I'm sorry."

"It's because of my mom," Santana suddenly blurted out, not wanting Rachel to walk away and give up on her. "It's because of her and it's not that big of a deal. I'm just not that into it anymore and I forgot that it was so close…it caught me off guard."

"It happened around Christmas time, didn't it?" Rachel asked softly, trying to confirm a fact that she sort of already knew.

Santana looked off to any place in her room that wasn't her girlfriend's eyes and said plainly, "Yeah, tomorrow is the anniversary."

"Christmas Eve!" Rachel exclaimed in utter surprise. She hadn't known that specific detail and figured that the date had passed before they had gotten together. After taking the other girl's hand again, she squeezed it tightly within her own. She didn't know what purpose the touch was supposed to have but she just wanted Santana to know that she was there. "Santana, why didn't you tell me!"

"I don't know," the Latina muttered, internally appreciating the fact that she wasn't alone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Rachel needlessly apologized and then kissed Santana's hand, making her eyes drift shut. "I thought it had already passed. I feel like such a horrible girlfriend."

"No!" Santana fiercely disagreed. "It's not your fault that I didn't tell you, I just don't care to talk about it. You're a perfect girlfriend."

"Perfect?"

"Perfect," Santana echoed with certainty.

Rachel smiled in silent thanks, but didn't know how to respond. She simply laid her face against Santana's chest and held her hips, figuring that maybe just being together would be better than any words could be. "I wish I could make this better for you."

The taller brunette let her body slump against the vanity behind her and brought her arms up to wrap around Rachel's shoulders. "Me too," she whispered, as she rested her chin on top of silky hair. It was the most she had ever opened up about the subject and it wasn't as scary as she had always imagined it being.

"Will your dad be home tomorrow?" Rachel questioned, hoping that it wouldn't cause further upset. She had to know though, because she wasn't going to let her girlfriend and her sweet little sisters spend the day alone if the answer was no.

"Honestly," Santana sighed. "I'm not really sure, if anything tomorrow is the day that gives him more reason to be gone than any. That's probably why he's been gone even more lately – aside from the fact that I popped him in the mouth that morning – 'tis the season to drink yourself silly and forget about the world."

"You did _what?_" Rachel giggled, even though she knew she shouldn't have.

"I hit him…I didn't really mean to, I was just so mad and I swung and yeah, I punched him right in the mouth. He deserved it…I told him that I hated him too."

Rachel turned her face upwards to study Santana's. "You don't really mean that though, do you?"

The Latina shook her head. "No," she said, her voice weak. "I love my dad. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I love him so much."

"He's your dad, that's all the reason you need," Rachel explained softly. It got her a hesitant nod of agreement, so she decided to press just a little further. She wanted Santana to know that sometimes a person's reasons for a certain behavior weren't always as obvious as one would assume. "My mom – you know, Shelby Corcoran – basically told me that she didn't want me, but I still love her because she's my mother. She's a part of me."

"Yeah, well, she's a dumb bitch," Santana interjected in a dangerous tone, her protective nature coming out.

"San, shh…" the petite brunette urged gently and then waited for her girlfriend to look down and meet her eyes. "Just listen."

"Fine," came the grumbled response.

"Shelby probably made a mistake when she told me that," Rachel said. She paused then for no apparent reason besides to gather her thoughts and in that moment Santana realized that she wasn't the only one to be let down in life. "At least, I like to hope that she considers it a mistake," she continued slowly. Her voice quivered ever so slightly and Santana pulled Rachel harder against her chest, she was feeling an anger towards Shelby Corcoran that she never knew she possessed. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that everyone makes mistakes and maybe your dad is just making a lot of mistakes right now. Maybe he doesn't realize how bad he's hurting you because he's hurting just as badly."

Santana didn't reply, but she sighed heavily enough for Rachel to feel it and the gears in her head could practically be heard as she thought hard about what had been said. "Maybe you're right…"

Reaching up, Rachel placed her palm to Santana's cheek, tenderly cupping her face. "I know he's made a lot of bad decisions and that he probably could have done things a lot differently, but he misses her too. He lost the woman he loved and the mother of his three gorgeous, _gorgeous_ daughters. He loved her and he just doesn't know what to do."

Santana's jaw trembled in Rachel's hand and she sniffled, before sobbing, "You really do have sixth sense! You're so right!"

_Santana was only half way through sixth grade on the first anniversary of her mother, Cristina's, death. And while she was still young, she had struggled enough in the past year to have heard the phrase 'time heals all wounds' from various sources. But she knew that notion had to be flawed, it wasn't true at all. A year later, thinking about her mami hurt just as bad as it had when she woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve to a tearful explanation from her father and grandparents, who had come from out of town. _

_ "Come on, San, time for bed," Andres announced quietly, standing up and taking the two sleeping toddlers in his arms with him. _

_ The young girl got up from the couch without a sound, not bothering with any protests. Although she and her broken family had spent the day indoors just hanging out and watching movies, it had been exhausting nonetheless. Her father may have been trying to ignore the fact that at the same time the year before they had suffered a devastating blow, but Santana wasn't stupid. She knew that every time their eyes connected they were sharing the same thoughts._

_ "Papi?" Santana said softly as her father tucked her into bed._

_ "Yeah, mija?"_

_ "Do you miss mami?" _

_ Andres' face first registered surprise, he hadn't been prepared for that question. Next, his mouth set into a firm line and he furrowed his brows, before forcing a light smile. "Of course I do," he whispered and then leaned down to kiss Santana's forehead. "Now, go to sleep so you can wake up early and open your presents with your sisters. I love you."_

_ That hadn't been the response Santana was hoping for, but she forced a little smile of her own. She really didn't care about Christmas or presents, or anything anymore. "'Kay, love you too."_

_ When the light went out and the door to her room was closed, Santana tried valiantly not to cry. It never helped, especially not when the person who gave the best hugs and dried her tears was gone and was exactly the reason why she was upset. Trying not to cry eventually turned into working herself up to a stomachache, and soon she was sneaking out of bed and heading for the kitchen. In search of what, she didn't know. Maybe a glass of water, maybe a snack to take her mind off of things, but whatever it was she knew that it wasn't going to make the pain go away forever. She knew nothing could ever do that. _

_ Santana stopped at the top of the stairs when the sound of her mother's voice gave her heart the cruelest of thrills. Along with the glow of Christmas tree lights, the dark living room was illuminated by the television playing a home video – a home video of the day her parents brought her home from the hospital as an infant. Santana knew it well, she had watched it countless times because her mother loved it. She had always said that it was a video of the best day of her life, not only because she won the bet in predicting that she would have a daughter, but because she got to watch her husband fall head over heels in love with his little girl. _

_ Silently, Santana sat down on the landing and hung her legs through the banisters, careful not to make any sound. The video played on and she couldn't help but smile at the familiarity that she saw._

_ "Get that outta my face, Andres," Cristina demanded as she tried to situate a baby Santana against her breast. "We're not making that kind of a film here," she laughed, her attitude softening when the baby finally latched on and began to suckle. _

_ "Ha, I wish," a disembodied voice said from the screen with a chuckle._

_ "__Pórtate bien," the woman scolded, but still smiled lovingly at her husband. Her happiness was obvious, even if her hair hung lifelessly and she was still a little pale from hours of difficult labor. Then she clicked her tongue. "This is going to be a long six weeks for you, huh?"_

_ "I'll live," Andres said. The camera was repositioned and soon his excited face came onto the screen. He leaned over to kiss his wife's temple and then he used his fingertips to gently pet the wisps of dark hair on the infant's head, before kissing her as well._

_ "Still want a boy?"_

_ "No, no…" Andres whispered, mindful that his newborn daughter was close to falling asleep. "__Ella es__perfecta__.__Todo lo__que__podía__haber deseado__y__más."_

_ The screen went black a few moments later and Santana used the pause to wipe away the hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She might not have understood everything her parents had been talking about on the video, but she did understand that they loved each other and that they loved her. And she would never get to see that again. There were no more afternoons of her father coming home from work and dipping her mother into a kiss until she couldn't stop giggling. There were no more mornings of the three of them laughing at the twins spitting out their breakfast in their highchairs. There was just her father sitting alone in the dark living room, a half empty bottle of amber colored liquid, a tumbler full of ice, and cherished memories his only company. _

_ Santana bit her trembling bottom lip when the video picked up again, she already knew what to expect. The footage had been taken only a couple years before – it was the day the twins were born._

_ "So, what do you think, San? Should we keep them?" Andres' voice teased off camera, as the screen showed the image of a ten-year-old Santana sitting in a hospital bed with her mother, who was cradling two pink bundles._

_ "Papi!" the little girl scolded and grinned at the camera, showing off her missing teeth and gap filled smile. _

_ "Do you love them, San?" he asked. He zoomed the camera in closer to capture his eldest daughter offering her finger to one of the twins, as she whispered, "Yes."_

_ "Are you going to be a good big sister?"_

_ "Well yes!" she exclaimed, looking up and shaking her head at her father as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, which it had been and always was._

_ "Are you going to beat up bullies for them?"_

_ "Andres! Don't tell her to do that!"_

_ "I will!" the young girl laughed, making her mother roll her eyes and playfully say, "Great!"_

_ "Well, there you have it," Andres announced to no one in particular. "These babies don't need any brothers to protect them, they'll have Santana and she __**will**__ beat up the bullies!" _

_He laughed to himself and then Santana's gentle voice interrupted him, as she held the hands of both newborns and vowed, "I'll always take care of them…"_

_ The video stopped at the end of the tape and Santana pressed her forehead against one of the banisters, trying not to sob at the realization that that was all that was left of her mother and in a way, her father too. The clink of glass startled her and she blinked her eyes to see her father pour another drink for himself and then down it without stopping. When only ice cubes were left he slammed the glass onto the table in front of him, making Santana jump again. He continued to squeeze the glass but bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his other hand. _

_ Santana wanted to rush down and wrap her arms around his neck when she began to hear his anguished cries, but she didn't know how to. She didn't know how to make her father better again. So instead, she made a promise to herself that since she couldn't be the best daughter, she would be the best big sister. She would always make sure that her baby sisters were happy._

"He loved her so much!" Santana cried, her breaths beginning to come in short gasps as she started to break down. "_We_ loved her so much and she died! I don't know what to do anymore!"

Rachel blinked her own eyes to let the tears dribble down the sides of her nose. "Come here," she said shakily, as she guided Santana to lie down on her bed. She pulled her girlfriend close and let her sob hot tears and heartbreaking whimpers into her neck. "Shh, Santana, it's going to be alright," she whispered, not bothering to fight her own emotions. "It's going to get better, okay? I promise."

Santana was crying too hard to answer, but she clutched at the t-shirt Rachel was wearing and nodded her head. She didn't even have to hesitate. She trusted Rachel and she believed her promise, because by simply having someone to hold her and make her feel safe she felt better already.

Eventually though, Santana grew sick of crying and she suddenly sat up, wiping her eyes with her hand. Rachel followed and tucked a few strands of still damp hair behind her girlfriend's ears. "Okay?"

The Latina picked at a piece of fuzz on her comforter, but admitted, "Yeah…that actually helped a little."

Rachel smiled sympathetically, tilting her head and studying Santana. It was unfortunate that aside from a few people no one got to see these sides of her. "I'm glad."

After minutes of comfortable silence, Santana stood up and the last of her tears were gone. "Can I show you something?" she asked, and then awaited a reply.

"Of course…."

She went to a drawer in the vanity she had been standing at before and moved certain items aside until she found what she was looking for at the very bottom. She pulled out what Rachel assumed to be a photograph and something else that caught the morning sunlight and made it reflect on her face. When she reached the bed again, she handed the items over without a word.

Aware of the fact that the picture probably hadn't been revealed yet for a reason, Rachel set it down on the bed and instead looked at the diamond ring that now occupied her palm.

"My mom's wedding ring," Santana explained, but she wasn't looking at it like Rachel was. She was blankly staring at the wall. "My dad gave it to me after she died that night…well, morning I guess. The accident happened on her way to work – she was working third shift at the time, I always hated it – and then she died in the hospital in the early morning."

"I'm so sorry, Santana," Rachel whispered, still concentrating on the details of the ring that had once belonged to someone who meant so much to her girlfriend. "Did you get to see her before she…"

"No, my dad didn't want me to. She was…" Santana stopped to take a deep breath before going on. "She was kind of messed up from the accident. He didn't want me to remember her like that."

Rachel shook her head in understanding. Then, she turned over the photograph and suddenly a young Santana and the woman who she had so obviously gotten all of her features from were smiling back at her.

"Wow, San…" Rachel breathed out, afraid that her voice might fail her. She didn't know if it was the likeness that Santana and her mother shared, the fact that she herself would never experience a moment like the one pictured, or a combination of it all. But something about it overwhelmed her and she had to turn it back over. If it was too much for her, she couldn't imagine what it felt like for Santana.

"She was really beautiful," the petite brunette offered, not knowing what else to say.

Santana shrugged, nodded, and then swiftly put the picture and ring back where they had come from.

"Why don't you have it out?"

"It hurts too much to look at her," Santana said lowly, as she came back to sit on the bed. "I don't need to see her to remember her."

"So," Rachel began, wanting to change the subject. "Did your mom know you were gay?"

Santana laughed softly and it was the last thing that Rachel would have expected to hear. "Oh yeah, she knew," she said as she smiled widely, making it apparent that she was thinking back to a happy memory. "Thank God I told her when I did, it was only the summer before she died. I had known I was different for a long time and she was really understanding. I was never afraid to tell her, just confused."

_After spending most of the summer afternoon in her room being punished, Santana quietly slinked out into the backyard. Her mother was lying on a lounge chair by the pool, soaking up what was left of the sun and Santana couldn't help but hope that someday she would be just as beautiful as her. Even if she liked to complain about stretch marks from having the twins, to Santana, her mother was perfect. At nearly eleven years old, the young girl felt as if she was in an awkward phase that wasn't just a phase, but a horrible limbo that she would be stuck in forever._

_ As she stepped up beside the lounge chair her small stature cast a shadow and the older woman lowered her sunglasses from her eyes. "Feeling better?" Cristina asked in a light voice. It was nothing like the voice she had been using earlier while she and her oldest daughter were having a heated, fast paced argument in Spanish. _

_ "Sorry," Santana said blandly, while keeping a straight face. She was apologizing for having an attitude all day for no apparent reason, but there was still a hint of stubbornness in her tone that never went away._

_ "It's okay, mija," the older brunette said and then flashed a mischievous smile. "You got your temper from me, so I guess it's partly my fault too. Now, come sit." She patted the chair and moved her legs aside so Santana could lie between them, the back of her head resting on her stomach. _

_ "You want to go swimming?"_

_ "No…" Santana mumbled. Now she just felt miserable, but she didn't quite know why. She squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows, but it wasn't just to block out the sun. She felt angry too, and she didn't know why she felt that way either. "Mami, I feel different."_

_ Cristina buried her fingers in her daughter's black hair and gave her head a playful shake. "Is that why you've been so crabby lately?" she teased._

_ Usually the gesture would make Santana laugh, but she didn't laugh this time. She just continued to glare into the sun. "I don't know."_

_ "Then what's wrong, baby?" Cristina asked, becoming more serious. She used her fingernails to massage Santana's scalp, prompting her to give her eyes a break and let them slip shut. _

_ "I just feel weird," Santana sighed, sounding exhausted when she shouldn't have been._

_ "Weird, how?"_

_ The young girl hesitated, thinking hard about whether she wanted to speak her mind or not. She hardly knew enough about what she feeling herself, she didn't even know where to begin explaining it. "I don't want you to be mad…"_

_ Cristina quirked a brow as she looked down at a little scowling face. When the day came that her daughter, Santana Lopez, became worried about angering her, she knew that something very weird had to be going on. Santana was a firecracker and she had no qualms about wreaking havoc – disapprovers be damned. "Well, did you do something wrong?" she quizzed, confused and trying to feel out the situation. _

_ "No…" Santana replied uncertainly. "I don't think so." She crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her head to the side. "I'm just not sure."_

_ "If you don't think you did anything wrong, then you know I would never be upset with you."_

_ At that, Santana seemed to relax and she sighed again. She found her mother's hand at her shoulder and absently mindedly entwined their fingers together. "I know…I just feel different from my friends."_

_ "And why is that?" Cristina asked, continuing her slow process of questioning. She knew patience was the key when it came to her daughter._

_ "I don't like boys…"_

_ Cristina smiled to herself. That was actually a fact that she was glad to hear, the last thing she needed was for someone with Santana's personality to already be boy crazy at her age. "San, you don't have to like boys until you feel ready to."_

_ "No! That's not why I don't like them!" Santana insisted, her frustration showing through and causing her to blurt out the rest of her thoughts. "I don't like them because I think I like girls better."_

_ Cristina only paused for fractions of a second before saying, "Oh." But it was enough time for Santana to burst into tears and begin a dash back to the house. _

_ "See, you're mad!" she cried, as she ran across the yard. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! Maybe I was wrong!"_

_ She hadn't been expecting to run a sprint that day, but Cristina broke out her old high school track skills and caught Santana around the waist before she could even reach the back patio. The young girl flailed and fought as expected, but eventually she tired herself out and Cristina guided them both to their knees in the soft grass._

_ "Santana Alejandra, look at me, listen to me," Cristina fiercely, yet somehow gently demanded. She took Santana's face into her hands, wiping her tears away with her thumbs. "I will __**never**__ be mad at you for being who you are. If a girl makes you happy, then I'll be happy too. And if a boy makes you happy, that's alright as well."_

_ As Santana's lips trembled and her dark brown eyes sparkled with tears in the sun, Cristina berated herself and hoped with everything she had that she had never made Santana feel that she was anything less than perfect to her. Overcome with emotion, she pulled her daughter into her arms and cradled her against her shoulder, soothingly shushing her. "I don't want you to ever feel ashamed of who you are, because nothing you could do would ever make me love you any less."_

_ Santana nodded wordlessly and when her mother continued speaking she felt guilty because she was beginning to cry as well._

_ "You're mi hija, Santana, and I love you," Cristina whispered, her throat constricted. "Anything that makes __**you**__ happy will __**always**__ make me happy too."_

_ "Okay," Santana said shakily. "I thought –"_

_ "Shh, it's alright," Cristina told her._

_ "Okay," Santana repeated, but this time she really did believe that everything was and would be okay. All she had to worry about was the sweet sounds of summer, the smell of coconut tanning oil, and her mother's arms around her. Because as long as she had that, she would be okay. "I love you too."_

_ Then, after a few silent moments of embracing, Cristina guided her daughter back to smile into the eyes that were so much like her own. "Thank you for telling me, San."_

By the time Santana had finished telling the story Rachel was smiling as well. "She sounds like the most perfect mom imaginable," the smaller brunette said, reveling in the fact that her girlfriend seemed to be in a much better mood now.

"She was, she was so good to me," Santana said in enthusiastic agreement. Then she giggled again and reached over to place her hand on Rachel's thigh, as if she just had to share her happiness. "After I told her, she would always tease me and ask me when she would get to meet my wife. She used to say that I would have the prettiest wedding because everyone would be in dresses and not silly penguin suits – except for papi," she laughed. "I don't know if she really believed it, but she made me believe it."

"I'm nearly positive that she believed it," Rachel assured her, and then was pulled into a hug.

"I wish you could have met her."

"Me too!" Rachel's eyes widened for a second as she made the connections between what had been said, though she was sure Santana didn't mean it in that way. It was a totally different context, but she had to change the subject again before her thoughts got too farfetched. "And I was thinking, if you and the girls are going to be alone tomorrow, you should come over to my house instead. I've already told my dads about the twins and they're dying to meet them."

Santana pulled away and kissed Rachel's lips in thanks. She still couldn't get over how amazing and understanding she was, but she loved it nonetheless. "I think that would be perfect."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

The next evening, all the tears and reminiscing from the previous day had been traded for nothing but smiles and laughter as Rachel, her fathers, the twins and a bright red Santana all sat on the living room floor playing Karaoke Revolution. Although Rachel was doing more exaggerated hand gestures and diva-esque belting than sitting, as she sang Take My Breath Away by Berlin and her overly sincere eyes never left Santana's.

Uncharacteristically, she cut her last note short to shout, "Yes! I beat my own high score!" She panted a few times with her hand and microphone to her chest, trying to catch her breath in between smiling like a maniac. "It must be because I now have a font of actual inspiration that truly relates to the lyrics! Can you guess what it is!"

Both of the Berry men were a little stunned by how smitten their daughter seemed to be with the other teenage girl in the room. But she _was_ their daughter and at the same time that it was surprising, it was also highly typical. They were just glad that her affections were targeting a polite and seemingly shy young woman, instead of an oddly tall goon, a mohawk wearing delinquent, or an egotistical choir boy.

"Oh no, dear, we haven't the slightest idea what it might be," Hiram said, as he tried to hold back his laughter and nudged his husband. "But I have a feeling that Santana might know."

Santana felt her face heat up even more and she was sure she turned fifty shades redder as Rachel pinned her with a grin. "Not a clue…"

Leroy burst into a fit of giggles at the subtle joke. "Surely you are too modest!"

"Yeah, Santí! Don't you know Rachel likes you a lot!" Noelia asked, completely clueless as to what was actually going on. Isabel quickly put in her two sense as well, adding, "That's why she sang you the song, silly!"

"Uh, yeah…" Santana mumbled through a smile that she just couldn't contain, no matter how embarrassing being serenaded in front of her little sisters and her girlfriend's parents may have been. "I think I got it…and I like her a lot too."

Rachel shrugged coyly and nearly threw the microphone at the twins so that she could resume her earlier position of practically sitting in Santana's lap. "But did you like the song?" the petite brunette asked as she brushed Santana's bangs back and linked their arms.

The Latina's eyes shifted to the two men sitting just a few feet away, who were pretending not to notice how cozy their daughter was getting. "I did, I liked it a lot. Thank you." While she loved having Rachel close to her, it was highly unnerving to have her parents so close as well.

"I'm so glad!" Rachel chirped, and then – to Santana's horror – she dove in and kissed her squarely on the lips.

"What are you doing!" Santana hissed as she pushed herself away, her tone one of mortification. "Your dads are like…_right there!_" The din of the twins singing a Britney Spears songs and being cheered on by Leroy and Hiram seemed to distract from the kiss, but that didn't mean that Santana was comfortable with it.

"And what?" Rachel quizzed, eyeing her girlfriend for her strange behavior. "That suddenly means that we can't even touch each other? It's just a kiss."

"It's weird!" Santana dipped her head closer to Rachel's, though she was still watching the rest of the group out of the corner of her eye. "Parents aren't supposed to like…see that sort of stuff, you know?"

Rachel bent herself further and completed the movement; touching their foreheads together and making the Latina get those butterflies in her stomach that made her incapable of resisting. "It's okay, San. Really, it's just a simple kiss and my dads aren't here to judge us."

It wasn't the reason why Santana was freaked out, but once she slowed down enough to think about it she figured that she was just so used to being someone's secret that she felt like affection was something to be hidden. And she didn't want that, she wanted people to know how she felt about Rachel.

"I guess you're right," Santana whispered, although she was still glad that their loose hair was mingled together and somewhat curtaining their faces. Noelia and Isabel hit a sour note and she winced. "They kind of suck," she confessed in the small bubble of privacy they had created.

"We could teach them," said Rachel, with a smile that was meant only for the two of them. "But for now, why don't we show them how it's done and give my dads that duet they've been hoping for?"

"What should we sing?"

"Anything you want, you lead and I'll follow."

Santana nodded her agreement, but on the inside she was thinking of how completely backwards that logic was to her. So far, the girl that she had once been so sure she hated was continually leading her into things she had once been afraid of and she was following without pause.

After prying the microphones away from Noelia and Isabel, Santana scanned through song selections for a few minutes and then finally settled on one – Evanescence's My Immortal. As Rachel watched her click on the highlighted song she cast a questioning look, one that asked silently, "Are you sure?"

It seemed she was sure though, and soon it was too late to back down as the first bars of the song began to play from the speakers. Rachel let Santana lead as she said she would and while she wanted to smile listening to her girlfriend's flawless voice, she could do nothing but clutch her fake microphone and stare. She didn't want to hear her sing something that was so painfully true to life, but it seemed that Santana was intent on trying to rip her heart out anyway.

_"…these wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase…"_

Rachel nearly missed her own cue, but Santana's eyes finding hers spurred her on. They sang the chorus together and when it faded out to a single voice again Hiram and Leroy had been shocked into silence. The twins had been captivated as well, but not for exactly the same reasons.

_"…you used to captivate me by your resonating light. Now I'm bound by the life you left behind. Your face it haunts, my once pleasant dreams. Your voice it chased away, all the sanity in me…"_

As Santana rounded out a repeat of the chorus, she closed her eyes and continued to sing her lines. She was cursing herself for picking such a song, but at the same time she knew that it was the ideal choice for her and Rachel's voices. She took a deep breath, preparing to move into the bridge, when Rachel took her hand and sang the words with her. And they sounded perfect together, the polished purity of Rachel's voice mixing with the experience and pain of Santana's.

_ "…I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone. But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along…"_

The Latina finished and took a ragged breath, lowering her head. "You sounded amazing, Rach," she said. It was meant to be a distraction, but it didn't work. She set her mic down and ran her hands through her hair, before getting up and heading for the refuge of Rachel's room. "Excuse me a sec'…"

"Is she okay?" Leroy asked his daughter, while he looked down the dark hallway that Santana had just disappeared into.

"She isn't right now, but I think she will be," Rachel replied and moved to follow. "Could you just keep an eye on the twins for me, please? I'm going to go talk with her."

The two men complied and quickly urged Isabel and Noelia to sing another song, and Rachel walked away to the beginning notes of the same Britney Spears tune that the young girls had sung before. It brought a hint of a smile to her face. At least they were enjoying their night, her fathers could figure out their own means to getting the factory fabricated pop songs out of their heads.

"Santana?"

"Sorry, that was the wrong song to choose…"

Rachel wasn't expecting Santana to be sitting against her bedroom door, cloaked in darkness and it made her start. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" she gasped, and then sat down, making the Latina giggle when she fumbled without any light.

"Well, you're laughing…that's always a good sign," Rachel observed, wrapping her arm around the front of Santana's waist and nuzzling her face into her neck.

"Yeah, I'm okay…it's just the day and everything. It just makes me think of her, you know? I miss her."

"Of course, you're allowed." Rachel told her and then moved her head up to place kisses along the underside of her jaw. "How about we actually go into my room? I have something for you…"

"I thought we weren't going to buy each other gifts?"

"Too bad…"

Santana let her head fall to the side and even though the other girl couldn't see it, her lips turned up at the corners as she thought about what was hidden in her blazer pocket. She had went against the agreement and bought Rachel something as well.

Once inside, Santana was directed to sit on the bed and close her eyes. She did as she was told, with the exception of peeking out of one eye as Rachel bent over into her closet. She wasn't wearing a bikini but that didn't mean that Santana couldn't appreciate the goods in a nice tight pair of jeans.

_Jesus, her ass is fine! I think it's about time we have a proper make out sesh, I needs ta get a feel of that! _Without realizing it, Santana soon had both eyes open and a smirk on her face, but when her girlfriend turned back around she was quick to slap her hands over her eyes.

"Okay, open!" Rachel said cheerfully, unaware that the taller brunette's eyes had hardly been closed at all.

Santana opened her eyes to find Rachel standing directly in front of her, clutching a slim white envelope and another item that seemed to depict some sort of desert scenery. "This first," Rachel advised, handing over the envelope and then placing the other behind her back.

"Oh, hells yes," Santana exclaimed as she pulled out the gift certificates to BreadstiX that had been housed inside the envelope.

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed, it didn't seem that she would ever break the Latina of her purposely horrendous grammar. "I know how much you adore BreadstiX, so I figured what better gift for you. Plus, I'm hoping that I'll be your choice of company when you redeem them."

"Duh!" Santana laughed, pulling Rachel to stand between her legs and hugging her close. "And thank you, I can't wait 'til we's be goin' to BreadstiX."

"You're impossible," Rachel said, shaking her head disapprovingly but still combing her fingertips through Santana's hair. "Now, take your other gift! It's the best one!"

When a small booklet was hurriedly placed into her hands, Santana was suddenly reminded of the stupid kitten calendar that she had once seen in Finn Hudson's locker. Just as she had thought earlier, the cover was a desert scene and in that scene were a pair of lizards – the faces replaced with photo-shopped versions of her and Rachel's own faces. And as psychotic as she had found the creation in Finn's locker to be, she found herself smiling over this one as she read the initials 'S & R' in the upper left corner.

"It's our relationship calendar!" Rachel announced proudly, reaching out to pat her girlfriend's shoulder excitedly. "As you may know, Finn and I had kittens for our calendar when we were together. But I've taken notice to your apparent affinity for lizards, so I took the liberty of making us into the reptiles that you so favor. It has the anniversary of our first date, which is also of course the anniversary of us officially being together. And then we can add any other momentous events that we want…" The petite brunette paused and looked shyly away from Santana's unwavering smile. "Because I'm hoping there will be many more to come."

Santana couldn't hold back her widening grin as she slid her hands up and down the other girl's hips. "You, Rachel Berry, are a certified goofball."

Immediately, Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and began to pout, thinking that her gift was disliked. "I resent that!" she huffed.

"I don't…" Santana said softly, and then pulled Rachel's arms loose and placed them over her shoulders. "I love it about you and I love this silly calendar, because you know what?"

"What?"

"Because when you really think about it…we're all freakin' losers! We all have these weird things that make us lame in some way. I'm always talking about lizards and stix and weaves, and I'm pretty much just grade-A crazy!"

Rachel was over her pouting and looking down at her girlfriend, listening intently as she ranted on in an oddly passionate way.

"That's why when we go back to school, I don't care who knows we're together. Actually, I want everyone to know we're together because if there's anything I learned from my mom dying, it's that you never know when it's going to be over. She was here and then she was gone. And I don't care what any of those idiots at school think about me or you, or us being together. You've made me happier than all of those nobodies combined and I _want_ them to know about it! I want them to know that _– you – _this awesomely talented, gorgeous little diva is _my_ girlfriend!"

Santana figured she must have done something right, because in the next instant she was lying on her back with her legs hanging off the side of the bed, with Rachel pressed to the length of her body as they kissed heatedly.

"Santana, I completely agree." Their mouths made a smacking noise when Rachel pulled away to speak and as soon as she finished she attacked again. She coaxed Santana's lips apart and then nipped the tip of her tongue between her teeth.

Whether Rachel's fervor and newfound aggressiveness was supposed to be intentionally arousing or not, it was a total turn-on for Santana. _Hot damn, she must've been reading my mind! I wonder if she'll let me grab her ass…ah, what the hell, I'm going for it!_

Ever so slowly, the Latina strategically placed her hands at the backs of Rachel's knees. The little brunette's hands were too busy gripping her jaw to able to remove the ones moving up her thighs anyway. Inch by inch she moved her hand until finally she reached her destination and gave an experimental squeeze.

"Mmm…"

Rachel bucked her hips and the sound she made against Santana's lips was somewhere between a sigh and a moan. "Oh my God," Santana silently mouthed over Rachel's shoulder, as she savored the lips on her neck and the placement of her hands. She was pretty sure she was seeing stars and it had nothing to do with the gold ones plastered to the ceiling.

For Rachel, her girlfriend's incensed confession was the confirmation she had been hoping for since their relationship began. It had been nerve wracking to wonder if Santana would fall into old habits once their break from school was over and she didn't think she would be able to handle their relationship in secret, especially not if Santana was going to keep bullying her in the process of keeping up a guise. That's why she had been just a tad enthusiastic in showing her approval.

She continued working at Santana's neck, pushing back her blazer and trailing open mouthed kisses down to her shoulder where she then gave her bra strap a light snap. The Latina made a noise in the back of her throat as she breathed heavily, eyes closed and tongue darting out to lick her top lip.

_Oh…my…guhhh, that tongue! No wonder she likes lizards, she is one, _Rachel thought to herself, smiling devilishly as she watched Santana's long, pointed pink tongue trace her mouth. _I wonder what it would feel like running all over me._

"Rachel…Rach," Santana panted, trying to stop her girlfriend and her body from reacting any further. "We have to stop…everyone is downstairs…"

"I know, I know we do," Rachel whispered in between kisses. "This just feels super, _super_ good."

"So good that you ran out of vocabulary words to describe it," Santana said. She had meant for it to come out as a laugh, but it more closely resembled a breathy moan. Sitting up, she pulled Rachel into her lap and then rolled her onto her back. "Now, stop kissing me or we'll never leave this room."

"Get off me or I'll never stop kissing you."

"Easier said than done…"

"You can do anything you put your mind to, San," Rachel giggled into another kiss, while clutching Santana's collar and preventing her from pulling away.

The Latina groaned and reluctantly unclenched the other girl's fingers, before flopping onto her back beside her. "Someday, we're going to lock ourselves in a room and get our mack on for reals."

"Is that a promise?" Rachel teased.

"You know it, babe," Santana told her and then rolled onto her stomach, propping her head up in her hands. "But for now, it's time for your Christmas gift or Hanukkah gift or whatever you want it to be."

Rachel grinned and moved onto her stomach as well, kicking her legs like a kid when Santana produced a grey box with a black ribbon and sat it on the bed in front of her. She delicately undid the ribbon and lifted the lid to reveal a silver charm bracelet with a single 'R' charm attached.

"Santana…" Rachel breathed out, not even sure of what to say. She was struck but the obvious amount of money that had to have been spent on the piece.

"It matches mine," Santana explained as she removed the bracelet from its velvet resting place and unclasped it. "May I?" she asked, holding the two ends.

Rachel felt like her heart was melting as she offered her wrist. In addition to being a closet romantic and giving her a gorgeous bracelet, Santana really did have proper grammar when she wanted to. The metal was cool against her skin, but what really got to her was Santana brushing her nose and lips against her inner wrist as she laid kisses there.

After the last peck, Santana touched the charm so it hung down correctly. "I wanted you to have something that connected us and I wasn't about to brand you with a necklace that read my full name like Finnocence did."

Finn was the furthest thing from Rachel's mind as she cupped Santana's face and kissed her, but she could definitely appreciate the sentiment. "Thank you so much, Santana," she whispered, looking down to admire her new wardrobe fixture. "I love it, truly I do."

"Yay," Santana said and lightly clapped her hands together.

If it had been anyone else Rachel would have mistaken the gesture for sarcasm, but it made her smile and took her back to the moment when Santana had told her that she liked her newly adopted Britney Spears inspired style. Looking back, Rachel realized that the outfit was atrocious, but the compliment from her classmate had been sweet in its own strange way. And it may have laid the framework for the crush she eventually had on Santana.

Santana rolled up her sleeve and showed off her own bracelet. "Now, we match."

"True…" Rachel said as her fingers trailed over the more worn looking chain and 'S' charm. "But don't you think we should have each other's initial?"

"I guess that would make sense," Santana said with a shrug. She examined her bracelet for a moment, thinking about everything the simple piece of jewelry meant to her before slipping it off. "Here, switch me."

They exchanged and for some reason wearing Santana's bracelet, which unlike the other had been warmed by her skin, gave Rachel an even greater rush. "When did you get yours?" Rachel asked. "You've been wearing it for as long as I can remember."

"My mom gave it to me when I was little…"

"Oh! Well, why didn't you say so, I don't have to wear it," Rachel said and then began to remove it.

"No, keep it." Santana placed her hand over Rachel's wrist and kissed her cheek. "I trust you, I want you to wear it."

Rachel mirrored her girlfriend and kissed her cheek as well. "Now, we'll always have each other…you'll have me and I'll have you."

"Always," Santana whispered.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Hours later, Santana and Rachel were standing in the foyer alongside Hiram and Leroy, who had a twin sleeping on each of his broad shoulders.

"I guess we have to go…"

Rachel hugged herself to her girlfriend's body, wishing that she could stay. "I guess so…" she said glumly and then gave her fathers a pointed look, while clearing her throat.

After catching the hint, Hiram announced, "We'll go get the twins settled into the car."

Santana flashed them an appreciative smile and called, "Thanks!" as they exited the house. Spending time with the Berries had been good for all three of the Lopez girls. It had allowed Santana to de-stress and ease the loneliness she knew she would have felt if they had been at home, while someone else entertained her little sisters.

"I had a great time today," Santana admitted once the door had closed. "How do you always seem to know exactly what I need?'

"Great intuition," Rachel smiled, and tipped her head back for a kiss.

"Well, whatever it is, I like it."

"Well…that's good, because now I'm about to do something you probably won't like…"

Santana narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Spill…"

"I want you to talk to your dad tomorrow," Rachel told her as gently and as nicely as possible. "I know you probably don't want to, but just try to remember what I told you. He misses her too and deep down he would probably really love being with you."

There was really no other choice but to comply. Rachel was too hard to resist and Santana knew that it was something she should be pushing herself to do anyway. "I'm not making any promises…but I'll try," she grumbled, her face turning hard.

"That's all you have to do," Rachel said, before taking her girlfriend's face and rubbing their noses together, making her smile.

Santana was going to say something sarcastic but she didn't have the chance when she was being pulled down for a kiss. She figured the ability to diffuse her temper was another of Rachel's supposed supernatural abilities. But she had to wonder how well it was going to work when they got back to school. They couldn't just start making out every time her inner bitch was threatening to come out, because considering her attitude at school that would just cause a ridiculous amount of kissing. Not that she would complain.

"'Kay, I'm out…" Santana whispered, finally separating herself. "Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," Rachel assured, as she still held both of the Latina's hands, not letting her stray just yet. "And, San? Please have a good time tomorrow. Be happy, okay, baby?"

Santana couldn't fight the urge to give Rachel one last kiss. "I will…" _I will because I have you now._

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

At the Lopez house, the aftermath of Christmas morning consisted of the twins jabbering about and playing with all of the countless toys and treasures they had amassed, while Andres watched from the comfort of their leather couch. He was overlooking the scene before him, but as Santana studied him from across the room she could tell that he was looking but not really seeing.

She sat on the floor with her back against an equally buttery smooth, leather armchair. Her gifts, which consisted mostly of clothing, small boxes, and plastic gift cards, made a not so impressive pile, but that had no bearing on the value. The glittering pieces inside the small boxes and the high numbers penned onto the back of the gift cards determined that. It had no real effect on Santana though. Sure, she was now sitting on at least a few thousand dollars worth of new clothes and jewelry, but when wasn't she? What she was really concentrating on was Rachel's voice in her head, urging her to talk to her father.

_He's right there, just talk. _Santana told herself, but things were easier said inside her head than actually said out loud. _Rachel would never know if I didn't…but she would be disappointed if she found out I didn't, she's just trying to help._

After convincing herself that she shouldn't be afraid to talk to her own father and that there wasn't any reason to be, Santana pushed herself up off the floor and went to sit beside him. She took his hand within her own and refused to release her gentle hold, not even when she felt him tense in surprise and a surge of nervousness hit her.

"Hi, papi…" she said evenly, looking down at the carpeting. It bothered her that she could walk through school hallways and stare complete strangers into submission, but she couldn't bring herself to look her father in the eyes.

"Hey, baby," Andres answered and then brought both of his hands together to hold Santana's in between. That and his deep familiar voice sounding so comforting and atypically content had her closing her eyes in relief and laying her head on his shoulder. It was something they had done countless times in years past, but none that they could remember recently.

"I'm sorry for what I did the other day…" Santana whispered, while hoping that she wouldn't ruin the rare moment by bringing up a negative one.

Sighing, Andres placed his arm around his daughter and leaned their heads together. "Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong…you've never done anything wrong." Then, he kissed her forehead.

When he lingered, Santana felt nostalgia well up inside her. "Ugh, papi! Your mustache!" she giggled, as she wrinkled her nose and tried to dodge the bristly touch. It was something she had always done as a child and from one small interaction, she suddenly realized just how badly she missed having her father in her life.

Andres laughed along with her and took the playfully whiny exclamation as an invitation to kiss her forehead again, this time placing both of his arms around her so she couldn't escape. "You've hated this mustache since you were little! Your mami hated it too, that's why I kept it!" he said spitefully, still smiling even when Santana's hair slapped him in the face as she squealed a laugh and tried to get away.

"You would!" Santana laughed, bumping her head into his shoulder, showing both her teasing disapproval and affection. When she looked up into his face she turned away and grinned. If she would have known that seeing her father so happy was so simple she would have done it a long time ago. But then again, sometimes things weren't so simple and sometimes there wasn't always a wonderful girlfriend in the background to give advice.

Taking his daughter's chin in his hand, Andres guided her face up to look at him again. "I love you, mija," he whispered.

Santana felt her throat start to ache. She could have never predicted that by the end of Christmas break she would have Rachel, her father, and a new faith in herself. But no matter who or what was responsible for it, she was going to take everything she had gained and keep using it to find the happiness that had been so elusive to her before.

"I love you too, papi."

* * *

**So, there you have it! In the next chapter they're going back to school and that's going to get..._interesting_! No worries though, the girls will stick together! Also, this isn't a quick fix for San's relationship with her dad, there's going to be more work going into that as the story progresses.**

**Btw, I don't know how you all feel about having songs written into chapters, but I don't really care for it. So I'm hoping that scene worked out, for as much as I hated writing it, haha!**


	13. Slushies For The Sapphic

**AN: Holy cow, I didn't realize how long this chapter was until I just uploaded it! I know most of you have been awaiting the chapter where they go back to school, so here it is and hopefully I did your expectations justice. My apologies for taking FOREVER to update, I definitely didn't intend for that to happen. I had school papers to write and I've been sick the past week, so I haven't been able to concentrate and I didn't want to write a bunch of garbage. Also, thanks so much for all of the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc. I didn't reply to all of them because I've just felt like death, but thank you so much and I promise to get it together for next time! Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Glee...it isn't mine.**

* * *

Chapter 13 – Slushies For The Sapphic

"So, have you finished all necessary preparations for school tomorrow?" Rachel asked into her cell phone. She had forced herself to stay in for the day to put the finishing touches on homework and other school related things, breaking the succession of days that she and her girlfriend had been spending together.

"Mhmm," Santana murmured back, pulling her Cheerios top from a laundry basket and putting it onto a clothes hanger. She studied the slippery material for a moment, thinking about what the red and white colors had represented in times before.

"You sound so concentrated. What are you doing?"

"Hanging up my uniform…"

"Ah, I see," Rachel answered back. Her voice sounded a little duller after that bit of information had been revealed. "The infamous uniform…"

Santana sighed and laid the matching red skirt over her desk chair. "I know what it probably symbolizes for you, but that's not what it's going to symbolize any longer," she informed, sounding just as cool as before. "Things are going to be different now; I've come too far to go back. I don't want to go back."

"I would still understand if you wanted to wait a while to tell people about us," Rachel lightly explained, knowing that they were entering into a delicate subject. She wanted their relationship to be open as well, but that didn't mean that the process to get there wasn't going to be hellish for both of them.

"No," the Latina disagreed, shaking her head even though there was no one around to see the gesture. "I want everyone to know as soon as possible. I like what I have with you and if I have to hide it I'm afraid that I'll just get more and more afraid of telling everyone, and I don't want to lose you because of that."

Taking a humorous approach, Rachel added, "Well, I just figure that things couldn't get any worse for _me _than they already have been. What's a few more slushies here and there?"

Santana didn't care to dismiss the slushie facials and bullying of the past so easily, and it showed in her reflection. She stood in front of her full length mirror, a grim expression coming over her face as she inspected herself for any flaws that would have to be hidden the next morning. "That's going to change…"

"Oh really, how so?" Rachel laughed, not realizing just how dangerously serious her girlfriend was being.

Like a predator raising its hackles and showing its colors, Santana unconsciously straightened further and puffed herself up as if she was already on the defense. "No one is going to bully you _or_ touch you," she said into her phone, her voice chilling as she ran a fingertip along one of her brows. "Because if they do…I'm going to drag them to Hell and back."

After that comment, Rachel was clued into her mind set and made an odd face, not quite sure of what to say in response to the prospect of Santana dragging anyone through fire and brimstone for her. "Well," she said, laughing again, although this time a little uneasily. "That's um…_sweet_ of you, to say the least." The Latina made no move to answer, so Rachel continued on and tried to lighten the mood. "So, I have a confession to make, would you like to hear it?"

"What?" Santana asked, still sounding absent.

"You're really sexy when you're being all protective. A little scary too, but mostly sexy," Rachel told her, as she turned out her lamp and relaxed into her bed. Inhaling deeply, she could still detect Santana's perfume on the old Cheerios sweatshirt she had smuggled from her house.

At that, Santana couldn't help but crack a shy smile. She had to turn away from the mirror because she didn't want to see the goofy, lovesick face she knew she was making. But even if she didn't want to look at it, she was alright with knowing that it was there because of Rachel.

"Whatever, you're just crazy, Rach," she teased.

"No, you are!"

"You are!"

They both giggled to themselves at how childish they were being, but neither could deny how much fun they had while doing it together. If they could remember times like this, then they could make it through the bad ones, because unfortunately, they each knew that there would inevitably be bad ones.

"We need to go to bed," Santana announced after they had settled down again. "Big day tomorrow, you know?"

"Ugh, yes, I know," Rachel groaned and turned her face into her pillow, before pulling it back again and taking a deep breath. "But we'll be okay, everything will be good. Maybe it won't be the best tomorrow or the next day, but it will be eventually."

"I know…" Santana flopped down onto her bed on her stomach, still grinning even as her cheek smashed against the smooth sheets. "It'll be good, I believe you."

"Perfect, but that doesn't solve the present problem…"

"What's that?" Santana mumbled as she balanced her cell phone on her ear without her hand. She felt stupidly triumphant over the small feat, but she knew that that wasn't the only thing to blame for her giddiness as of late.

"We're still on the phone, not even close to being asleep."

"Oh, right…well, I guess one of us has to hang up then."

"You first…"

"That's not fair. I don't even think I'll be able to sleep tonight, I'm alone and I didn't get a goodnight kiss…"

"Santana!" Rachel laughed disbelievingly. "How are you going to drag anyone through the underworld if you can't even sleep in your bed by yourself without a goodnight kiss!"

"I don't know!" Santana said back sheepishly. She had already accepted the fact that she turned into a mushy, little kid when it came to the petite brunette she now knew as her girlfriend.

"Pshh, and you say I'm crazy?" Rachel joked. "I'm going to bed now, goodnight, baby."

Every time the endearment was said and Santana really had the time to think about it, it made her feel like blushing if she wasn't already. "'Kay, me too, 'night." The line went dead and Santana exhaled heavily before thinking to herself, _I'm pretty sure I love you._

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

5:00 AM came way too soon for Santana and she had all she could do to drag herself out of bed and away from her dreams. The break had been so much more than just a break from school for her and she would have been lying if she said that she wasn't afraid of losing what she had gained. But weight training for Cheerios started at 6:30 AM sharp, quickly followed by actual classes, so she had an hour and a half to try to prepare herself for what would happen that day. The key word being try, because she knew there was no possible way that she could fully prepare for the onslaught that was McKinley High.

By the time she had made it through showering and putting on her uniform, her nerves had increased exponentially and it only continued to get worse. She couldn't even force herself to eat the bowl of cereal she had poured and instead decided to count the marshmallows in her Lucky Charms while contemplating all the ways that she might be tormented. She figured she should've probably eaten the soggy mess because luck was exactly what she was going to need.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and she picked up her cell phone, preparing to leave a message for the one person who was going to go through the exact same thing in a few hours.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Unlike her girlfriend who had been ready to burrow back into her pillows until all thoughts of school left her mind, Rachel was using her nervous energy to work up a sweat. She had slept fitfully anyway, so it only seemed logical to rouse herself earlier and begin her half hour elliptical routine. With ear buds in place and Broadway tunes playing at the perfect volume, she ran out her negativity and practiced the smile she was going to give Santana when everyone was overjoyed to hear about their new relationship.

Since she was listening to music, when her cell phone started buzzing on her nightstand she didn't notice it until it had already gone to voicemail. Her ponytail bounced wildly as she bounded off the exercise machine and then grinned when she read the name of the person who had left the message.

_"Hey, sweetheart…it's Santana. I know you're probably still asleep, but I just wanted to let you know that I can't wait to see you this morning. I'll meet you in the choir room after I'm done with Cheerios stuff and then I'll walk you to class. Um, I guess I'll see you then, bye."_

Santana was good, but Rachel was better and she could most definitely tell that behind Santana's chivalrous message there was a tone of apprehension. Being nervous was something that Rachel had great experience with and her resilience when it came to bullying followed in its wake. It was the exact reason why she was not going to let anyone tell her that she and Santana being together was wrong or let anyone intimidate Santana into believing it either.

She pressed the #1 on her speed dial and held her cell phone with her shoulder as she climbed back on to her elliptical. "Good morning, baby!" she said jovially when the line opened up, but before the receiver hadn't even spoken yet.

"Hey, sorry if my message woke you up," Santana answered. She was throwing fresh towels and a water bottle into her gym bag and rejoicing at the fact that Rachel had called her back. She needed a good distraction. "Why are you so out of breath?"

"I'm exercising, I keep a strict diet and work out regiment," Rachel panted.

Santana smiled to herself. "Yeah, I know. I just figured…" she glanced at the nearest clock, "since it's only 5:41 in the morning that you would still be sleeping."

"Couldn't sleep...so I thought it…would be better to make use…of valuable time."

"Don't pass out on me, now," the Latina laughed, listening to her girlfriend's irregular breathing. If she was honest it was more than a little hot to listen to Rachel panting in her ear, but she would save that information for another occasion. "So, will you be ready for school soon? Because I could pick you up if you don't mind getting there early, I mean you don't have –"

"I would love that! I'm getting in the shower right now!" Rachel said, easily breaking her strict regiment and sounding way too peppy for it being so early.

Suddenly, Santana could hear water running and clothes rustling. "Don't you want to like hang up your phone before you get in the shower? Or are you planning on frustrating me even more?"

"Frustrating you? Why would you be…oh! Never mind! No, I wasn't planning on doing that, at least not now anyway," Rachel blathered on nonchalantly. "I'll talk to you when you get here, bye, San!"

Before Santana could respond she heard a click and then she was left staring at the cell phone in her hand. Rachel had somehow, possibly, sort of, maybe just offered her phone sex in the future. A slow, pleased grin spread over her face. Even if the day sucked, Santana now had a new goal – to get Rachel on the phone as often as possible. And that gave her enough hope in life to practically skip out to her car.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"I'll take those for you," Santana said as she offered her hand to her girlfriend and gestured to the pile of text books on her lap. They were exiting the car in the still dark parking lot of the high school, and so far, the morning had started out as rocky as they had expected it to. Although they hadn't predicted that the rockiness would start amongst them.

"Santana, you're not listening to me…"

"Oh no, I heard you. Now, give me your books," the Latina demanded, taking the first book off the top of the stack and adding it to her own, against her chest.

Rachel huffed in annoyance as she climbed out of the car and handed the rest over. "While I appreciate your gallantries, I would much rather appreciate you answering me. I meant what I said last night, I wouldn't be disappointed if you wanted a few days to let the idea of us being together at school settle in."

"I'm fine, okay? I'm ready," Santana insisted, angrily frowning at the books as she attempted to not drop them all on the pavement. "And this afternoon, in Glee, I'll be even more ready to tell everyone that I have a smokin' hot girlfriend." She gave a forced smile, but it quickly weakened and disappeared all together in favor of a scowl and a grunt of rage when Rachel's folder of sheet music fell and scattered everywhere. "_Damnit!"_

"I've got it," Rachel said, bending to pick up the papers and tuck them back in their pockets. After straightening up again, she grasped Santana's bicep, feeling her muscles tensed under her coat for a variety of reasons. "Just take a breath. If you want to tell everyone today then we will, but for now you have to calm down. You seem far from fine."

Santana rolled her eyes and tried to get the folder back in her possession, only to have Rachel pull away. "What are you doing? Just give it to me."

"I'll take this and you can take the rest," the petite brunette explained. She knew that underneath Santana's aggravation there were thinly veiled nerves.

"Why won't you let me carry it for you?"

"Why won't you listen to me and simply, calm down?"

"I just want to be a good girlfriend for you, okay!" Santana suddenly blurted out, her emotions finally bubbling to the surface. She immediately looked regretful after her outburst and her gaze lowered.

"But you already are a good girlfriend," Rachel gently told her, smoothing her hand up and down her upper arm. "In fact, I think we both share the title of being a _perfect_ girlfriend," she said, bestowing Santana with the compliment that she had given her just days before. "Just do what you normally do and everything will be fine."

"And what do I normally do at school?" Santana deadpanned.

Rachel giggled and moved her hand to the crook of her girlfriend's elbow, beginning to walk with her towards the building. "Well, maybe I should say, do what you normally do when you're with me, or with the twins."

"Oh, sure," Santana said, feigning sarcasm. "You just want be to be a sweetheart and be all cute and cuddly. Yeah, right!"

Tipping her head and grinning, Rachel laid her cheek on the Latina's shoulder as they walked. "At least now you'll admit that you are all of those things!"

"Yeah, whatev –"

"Hey, San! Hey, Rachel!" a cheery voice shouted, before Brittany bounded up beside them and forced a wedge of distance between their bodies. "How was your break?" the tall blonde asked, all smiles and happiness as usual. "And why do you have so many books, San? I don't like books, my teachers always tell me to try to understand what they're trying to tell me, but no matter how hard I listen I can't hear anything. I don't think teachers understand that books don't talk."

"Whoa, slow down, Britt-Britt. I had an awesome break," Santana said, cutting off her friend and the person who would without a doubt be the most understanding of her new relationship. "And I have so many books because I'm carrying Rachel's for her."

Brittany cocked her head as they all walked together, her long ponytail catching the lights overhead. "Aw, that's so nice! Sometimes Artie carries my books for me," she said and then narrowed her eyes as if she was trying hard to concentrate. "…if I remember my books."

Santana smiled at Rachel over the other girl's zaniness. "Well…" she hesitated, and then felt a squeeze at her elbow giving her courage and spurring her on. "That's because you do nice things for the people you care about."

"You care about Rachel now!" Brittany asked excitedly. She herself had never understood what was so wrong with their vertically challenged classmate. Sure, she liked to talk a lot and sometimes she was bossy, but Brittany had always felt that if Santana was her friend then Rachel could be her friend as well. After all, when the talking aspect was taken away, Santana and Rachel were two of the bossiest people she knew. "Wow, you must have had a _really_ awesome break!"

"Um, yeah, Britt…actually," Santana fumbled with her words a bit and then just went for it. "Actually I do care about Rachel because…she and I are going out now."

"To where?" Brittany quizzed, her face showing no hint of her joking.

"What do you mean?" Santana asked back, sounding mystified.

Brittany smiled and rotated her hand in a gesture out in front of her. "You know, where are you going out to? Out to breakfast? Out to lunch? Out to dinner?"

"No, no, Brittany," Rachel broke in, prepared to set the record straight. "We're going out _out_. We're together now, as in we are dating one another."

For a moment, Brittany still seemed to be stuck in her own jumbled thoughts. But then her face began to register the information that her brain had been presented with and she happily shouted, "Oh! Oh, I get it! Omigosh, that's awesome! You two are like really cute together!"

"Why, thank you, Brittany!" Rachel chirped, sounding just as enthused. The tall blonde placed her arm around her shoulders and Rachel was thankful to have someone on their side to begin the day.

"Really, thanks, B," Santana said quietly, yet through a soft smile. "But can you keep this a secret for a while? We don't want to tell everyone until we get to Glee this afternoon."

Brittany opened the double doors to the still deserted school and let Santana and Rachel walk in together, arm in arm. "Your secret is safe with me!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After she and her teammates had been verbally berated for an hour by Coach Sylvester for being lazy, Santana was so ready to escape the weight room. She was the first to shed her gym clothes and suit up in her uniform, before leaving the other girls in her dust. Most of them seemed to wonder why she was in such a hurry. Normally, she had no qualms about lollygagging around the locker room or taking an extra long shower, anything to prevent her from actually having to go to class. But unbeknownst to all of them besides Brittany – who was giving her a knowing smile – she now had a destination to get to and a cute girlfriend to walk to class.

As Santana grasped the handle of the choir room door she could hear the faint twinkling of notes playing on the piano, so she peaked through the small window. She caught a glimpse of the back of Rachel's head, her hair straight and glossy as it was held in place with a headband and she had to smile. Carefully, so as not to alert the other brunette, she snuck in and quietly made her way forward.

"Hey…" she said lowly into Rachel's ear, taking her trim waist in her hands from behind. She felt the startled jolt of the muscles beneath her palms and she squeezed gently.

"You scared me," Rachel chuckled and then wrapped her arms around herself to find her girlfriend's hands.

Resting her chin on the smaller girl's shoulder, Santana breathed in the comforting smell of her perfume and whispered, "I know, I'm sorry. You just looked really adorable sitting here and I wanted to watch for a little longer."

Rachel dipped her head to shoulder, grinning her appreciation for the compliment. "I guess it's okay, then." She moved aside to make room for Santana to sit beside her. "So, how was weight training?"

Santana shook her head dismissively and huffed. Anything that involved her being told what to do never really went over well in her mind. In fact, it usually ended with her slipping into an awful mood and her whole day being shot. She was thankful she had found something better to take her mind off of being bossed around. "It was just whatever, as fun as morning weight training can be – which is none at all."

"Stop…" Rachel said with a smile, nudging her with her elbow.

"I'm just sayin'," Santana shrugged as she began pressing keys in succession, playing a scale. "How is the piano treating you?"

"Oh, fine, I suppose," Rachel sighed wistfully. "I think it missed my voice though."

In the past, the Latina probably would have told the little diva beside her to get a life after hearing that comment. But this time she nodded her head in agreement as she continued to tinker with the piano keys. "I'm sure it did," she replied, her tone sincere. "I miss it. Honestly, I was hoping to catch you singing a few bars when I came in…"

Rachel adjusted herself to straddle the bench like Santana was, so that they could face one another. Then, she took her face in her hands and gave her a soft kiss. "Santana Lopez," she said, holding her cheeks and looking into her eyes. "You have most certainly found the ways to my heart."

Santana pushed past the hands on her face to go in for another kiss, lingering longer than before. "I figured," she teased.

"And if you want to hear me sing all you have to do is ask," Rachel told her in a whisper, before pushing herself closer and placing her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders. "I'm here to satisfy all of your singing fantasies."

"Oh, baby," Santana said playfully, waggling her eyebrows and lowering her head to Rachel's neck. She placed languid pecks on the soft skin under her lips, sometimes using the tip of her tongue to swirl tiny circles. The light sighs and fingertips pressing into her collarbones were nice, but when warm hands landed on the bare skin of her thighs right at the pleats of her Cheerios skirt a wrench was thrown in her plans. Shuddering, she pulled her head back. "Rach…"

"I think I may like this skirt more than I had originally thought…"

Santana smiled tightly, but eventually removed Rachel's hands. "While normally I'm totally down for easy access and inappropriate touching, you just can't do that right now."

"Why?" Rachel purred in her ear, making the Latina have to remind herself that the same girl speaking to her was also the same girl who had admitted that she was a virgin.

The petite brunette tried to put her hands back, but Santana caught them by placing her own hands over top of them. "Because if you move your hands any higher I'm gonna get a lady boner…"

Instead of being disgusted at the choice of words, Rachel giggled mischievously and attempted to slide her hands higher just as she had been advised not to. Her fingertips nearly skimmed the material of red spankies before Santana leapt backwards from the bench and stood up.

"No me gusta!" Santana announced, walking backwards from her girlfriend and brandishing her index finger.

Rachel shook her head in disagreement. "Oh, yes, you do…" she said knowingly, while looking like a scolded kitten.

Suddenly, the bell rang that signaled that they had five minutes until class started. Santana took it as a life saver – or at least a saver of Rachel's virtue – and she gestured towards the door. "Come on, time to go!"

"That's all you have to say?" Rachel questioned, her tone one of feigned innocence. She smirked and gave her girlfriend's body a once over, letting her eyes stop pointedly on her long, tan legs.

With some distance between them, Santana could think a little more clearly. But she still couldn't figure out why Rachel insisted on teasing her so hard. Maybe she was fine with being a virgin, but Santana was already experienced with sex and she would have been telling a major lie if she were to say that she didn't have cravings. With all the kissing and the images of a bikini clad Rachel in her mind, she had all she could do to keep her own hand out of her spankies. She didn't need her girlfriend's hand in them – at least not at this point anyway.

"We'll talk about that later," Santana told her, trying to ignore how flustered and downright turned on she felt. Practically all of her game had been wiped out since she had started dating Rachel, but she was going to have to find a better way of dealing with her tension. Rather than being reduced to a stammering mess like she was the inexperienced one of the relationship. "For now – class! Let's go!"

"If you insist," Rachel answered, picking up her bag from where it was set against one of the piano legs. "But this is your last chance to delay for a few days. I _promise_ I'll understand…"

Santana was already at the door, her hand poised to push it open. "Woman, don't make me come over there," she warned. Although the quirk at the corner of her lips made it apparent that it was an empty threat.

While biting her lip to hold back her giddy grin, Rachel rushed forward and nearly attacked the Latina with another quick kiss on the mouth. Santana shook her head as if she was trying to get it back on straight, and then said in a manner meant to lovingly mock, "Now, let us proceed. I believe there is a class that you need escorting to..."

She pushed open the door to the figurative shark tank and it didn't seem so bad as she continued to smile into Rachel's own happy face. But in that moment where time seemed to slow a little, she was also blinded by bliss and it wasn't until Rachel's face was suddenly doused in neon blue ice that reality actually set in.

Between the shriek of surprise and the immediate chorus of howling laughter that arose, Santana's brain began to instantaneously fire commands at her. _Chase Azimio down. Make sure she is okay. Beat him to an unrecognizable pulp. Get her cleaned up. _In the end, somehow all of her sudden rage that would normally have her tearing down the hallway like a serial killer was channeled into caring for Rachel.

_"Jesus!"_ Santana hissed under her breath, as she took in her girlfriend's drippy state and backed her against the wall next to the door they had just exited from. She was acting on instinct, not even realizing that she was placing herself in a position between Rachel and her attackers to shield her from anymore harm. "Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly. She touched Rachel's shoulder and then dipped her head down to meet her eyes, which proved to be impossible considering they were sticky with slushie residue. "Hang on, keep your eyes closed…"

Rachel did as she was bade and waited patiently as Santana ever so gently wiped her eyelashes clean with her fingertips. She couldn't really believe what was happening. Sure, the slushie facial was believable, but Santana's reaction was a complete turnaround from how she would have reacted before Christmas break. While Santana hadn't personally doled out any slushies to Rachel, she had been a witness to them in countless situations and she had never offered anything but laughter before. Rachel knew things were different, but she still couldn't help the surge of admiration and thankfulness she felt as people snickered and her girlfriend continued to hold her face without shame.

"What are you doing, Lezzy Lopez! Is she your girlfriend!"

Rachel opened her eyes and over Santana's shoulder she could see Dave Karofsky – in all his hulking Letterman-wearing glory – standing across the hallway, surveying his friend's handiwork with a malicious smile and another slushie in hand. Next, she found Santana's eyes and they were so full of fire that she wasn't sure what to expect. But what actually did happen was the very last option that she could have ever imagined. Although it did set her heart aflutter.

"Actually…" Santana said menacingly, her head at a fierce angle as she turned to face the biggest meathead of McKinley. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and her shoulders were squared, preventing anyone from getting to the small figure behind her. "Yes, Rachel _is_ my girlfriend. And as my girlfriend, she is _mine_ to protect! Now, get the hell out of my hallway, because if you want to do anything else to her you're going to have to go through me."

"Your hallway!" Karofsky echoed loudly, as he stalked forward. Some of the contents of the cup he was holding overflowed and splattered onto Santana's white Nikes when he came to a quick stop in front of her. "Who do you think you are! Besides a dyke, that is!" His fat index finger came up to Santana's face, nearly jabbing her in the temple as he screamed at her.

"Get away from me," Santana demanded. Her voice was calm but venomous as she raised her chin defiantly.

"Santana, don't!" Rachel warned, gripping her rigid shoulder and peeking out from behind her. She was already impressed enough. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially not her girlfriend.

"You, shut up!" Karofsky yelled in Rachel's direction. "I've still got on more slushie for you and it's _not_ going to waste!"

Santana couldn't take it any longer. Lashing out, she pushed him as hard as a girl could push a huge football player, yelling, "You're not going to touch her!"

The blow caught him off guard, so when he recovered nearly half of the slushie was on the ground and Santana was smirking evilly. But that all changed when she wasn't fast enough to dodge whatever was left in the cup and it suddenly splashed across her face.

The raucous laughter picked up again and Rachel sent up a silent thanks for her years of dancing and quick reflexes, as she caught her girlfriend around the waist. Trying to anchor her in place, she just held on tight as Santana flailed, cussed, tried to escape, and then cussed some more. Everything was in a state of chaos until Karofsky finally disappeared into the masses and the last bell rang, making everyone scatter to different classrooms.

"That dumbass, I'm gonna kill him!" Santana yelled in the direction in which their attacker had left.

"No!" Rachel shouted back, her arms still around her waist where she could feel cool liquid seeping into fabric. "Promise me you won't cause anyone bodily harm or I'm not going to release you!"

"Whatever…" she mumbled. She stopped fighting and dropped her head, trying to catch her breath after all the commotion. Rachel settled too, laying her cheek on her back, both feeling and listening to her pant.

"Are you alright?" the petite brunette asked. But when she received no answer besides harsh breathing she began to worry. "Omigosh, are you mad! I'm so sorry I got you slushied! Say something, Santana! I'm so sorry!"

Turning around in her arms with a surprising easy smile, Santana said, "I'm fine, I'm good. Are you?"

"Oh…" Rachel uttered quietly, not expecting such a mild manner. "Yes, I'm fine too."

They both shared a few moments of grinning at one another like fools, until Santana finally asked, "What are we smiling about? We just got slushied?"

Rachel cast a glance down both sides of the empty hallway. "I know what I'm smiling about – you. You just told the biggest jerk in school that I'm your girlfriend and you didn't even flinch."

Santana cocked her head to the side and then nodded approvingly. "That was pretty badass, wasn't it?"

"Super badass!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

The tiny red and white checkered tile floor of the Cheerios locker room spread out like an expanse of hot lava and like in a silly game that kids make up, Rachel wasn't quite sure if she could step into it without getting burned. "Are you absolutely sure this is acceptable?" she asked warily, as she toed the threshold.

"There's no one here, it's fine," Santana assured and then gave her girlfriend a tug to get her moving. She could understand why Rachel was worried about venturing into cheerleading territory. But at the same time, their linked hands were beginning to fuse together like they had been soaked with superglue instead of liquid sugar and it was already likely that they would have to run them under hot water to get them apart.

"I feel like I'm entering hallowed ground or at least something akin to it!" Rachel whispered, as if there really were spirits of Cheerios past who she would disturb if she was any louder. She was grinning from ear to ear like one would while they were on the verge of getting into trouble, like while sneaking into a movie theatre for example.

"It's really not that great," Santana said flatly, leading the way to a countertop lined with sinks. "Nothing too fab happens here…except for hot, naked chicks."

"Hey!"

"_Ow!_"

"Don't you think I've been bullied enough for one day?" the Latina pouted as she rubbed the shoulder that had just been abused by Rachel's small fist.

"I'm the only naked girl you should be thinking about," Rachel blurted, without thinking.

"Oh really?" Santana questioned back, sounding sly and amused. "Jealous?"

The petite brunette's head gave a bob and she tossed her hair over her shoulder with a sniff. "That's just ridiculous. It's just a simple fact that should be upheld in a monogamous relationship."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to worry about that…I do plenty of thinking," Santana said. She turned on the water and began washing her hands, avoiding her girlfriend who now seemed to be a little speechless. "You can take a shower if you want or I could just wash your hair in the sink for you."

"I think the latter option sounds the best," Rachel said, bumping the taller girl with her hip as she moved in to wash her own hands. There were three other unoccupied sinks, but Santana liked the fact that Rachel wanted to squish herself to her side to use only one.

"Hop up," Santana advised, motioning to the last sink where the countertop extended further. "I'll go get my shampoo and stuff from my locker.

While Rachel waited, lying with her head in a sink and feeling completely out of place, she thought about how different it would be once they left the locker room. There was no doubt in her mind that as she and Santana joked and playfully bumped hips, cell phones all over the school were going berserk with texts about what had been witnessed in the hallway. Granted it hadn't ended in complete disaster, but it had still ended with their new dating status being made public. And now they could only hope for good reactions from the people who mattered most.

"Got it!" Santana announced as she came back carrying two brightly colored bottles, a few towels, and a red water bottle emblazoned with the letters WMHS. She sidled up to her girlfriend and began running the water again, using her inner wrist to gauge the temperature.

As the girl above her concentrated on opening the empty water bottle, Rachel watched the subtle shift of muscle above her brows. It was obvious that Santana was thinking hard about something as she worked. She wasn't angry though, just thoughtful.

"What's wrong?" Santana asked softly when she noticed she was being studied.

"Nothing…" the girl below her answered just as softly and offered a light smile.

Looking at Rachel and her blue tinted forehead made Santana mirror the expression and soon she was pressing a kiss to said sugary, sweet skin. "You taste good," she whispered, licking her lips.

"We shouldn't be having this much fun right now…"

"I know," the Latina sighed. "But Isabel told me before we started dating that you can make me smile even when I don't really want to, and I would have to agree. You just make me happy and I can't help it," She used the water bottle to pour water through dark hair, her hand smoothing in its wake. "Not too hot?"

"Mmm, perfect…you're the best," Rachel mumbled. Her eyes closed automatically and she let a wave of laziness come over her as Santana massaged her scalp with her fingernails, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her want to fall asleep. It was the moment she had been waiting for since seeing Santana rush to Noelia's aid on the icy driveway, the day of their first kiss. It was her chance to have Santana as her own superhero.

Rachel was putty in her hands as she continued to work the shampoo into a lather. "Not gonna lie, I'm kind of a master at this…"

"My thoughts exactly," Rachel sighed. Much to her dismay, Santana finished a few minutes later, using the washcloth to get rid of any trace evidence of slushie around her hairline.

"Done," she said.

"But I don't want it to be over yet…"

"Too bad," Santana told her in a bubbly voice, before pulling her up to sit on the edge of the countertop. "I can blow dry your hair for you though, if you want," she said, already knowing that Rachel would obviously say yes. Because an after slushie clean-up was surprisingly fun when it wasn't done alone.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Hey girl…"

Santana slowly lifted her head from the math homework she was trying to complete, her eyes cold and lip turned up in disgust. Then, after realizing which one of her classmates was bothering her, she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest uninvitingly. "I am so not your girl. What do you want?"

"You may not be my girl, but I heard you were Rachel's," Mercedes said with her usual attitude, placing a hand on her hip with a lilt of her head.

Santana was immediately on her feet, on the defense for the second time that morning. "Weezy, if you _even_ try anything with me, I will kick your ass to a place so far away you will never even _think_ of tots again."

Mercedes rolled her eyes and placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder before shoving her back down into her chair. "Calm yo' skinny Latina ass down," she said disinterestedly, and then took a seat in the empty desk across the row. "I just want to talk."

"Oh, really?" Santana said snottily, while wondering why she wasn't wailing on her for touching her. "About what?"

"Well, obviously you know I heard about you and Rachel – like everyone has," Mercedes told her, cocking a hand out while gesturing. "But that's not what I came to say, I came to say that I'm sorry about what I said that night at rehearsals and for any other stupid differences we've had."

Now, Santana just looked confused in addition to being automatically pissed off. She got a girlfriend and then suddenly one of her enemies just started being nice to her. It was just too much. "And you're telling me this, why?" she quizzed, eyes narrowed skeptically. She was trying to detect any hint of dishonesty, but there was none to be found.

"Duh!" Mercedes exclaimed with another eye roll. "Because I want you to know that I've got your back."

"I don't need anyone to have my back, especially not you!" Santana shot back, sounding offended.

"Santana, I'm about to give it to you straight, so don't play stupid with me," the girl demanded, wagging a finger towards the Latina. "You and I both know that this school is gonna talk a whole lot of trash about you and Rachel and it ain't gonna be pretty. And while you're kind of crazy and Rachel is just way too loud, I still care about you two. You're gonna need as many people behind you as you can get and I know I would want the same from you. So, take it or leave it?"

Not wanting to give Mercedes the satisfaction of a quick response – even though it was already obvious who was correct in the matter – Santana picked at her manicured fingernails for a few seconds, pretending to weigh the options she really didn't have.

"Fine. I guess I'd be down for that…"

A genuine, friendly smile broke out over Mercedes' face and all of the attitude that she had been using to sway Santana was suddenly gone. She clapped her hands to the desk with finality and then stood up to go back to her own desk. "Good, us divas and weave wearin' girls have to stick together. You know that me, you, and your girl are the only real talent at this school!" she laughed.

"Um, obviously!" Santana agreed with a self-assured smile, as if it had never been doubted.

Mercedes returned the smile and then opened her arms. "What do you say? Hug?"

Santana playfully scoffed and then nodded, before silently getting up and embracing her classmate. "Thanks, Weezy," she teased, as she let go.

"Shoot, you can thank me later when I'm cracking skulls for you," Mercedes told her and then went back to her seat.

Santana sat back down as well, stilling smiling to herself and thinking about how she couldn't wait to tell Rachel what had taken place. She may have gotten slushied just a while before, but she was feeling better than ever about facing the rest of the school day.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

In a turn of events that wasn't so surprising, Rachel was having an experience completely opposite of her girlfriend's. The longer she sat in Mr. Schuester's Spanish class with Quinn and two of her Cheerios whispering and giggling behind her, the less she wanted to give the official announcement and the more she wanted to leave school with Santana and never go back again.

"Psst! Hey, Rachel!" Quinn half whispered, half hissed in her ear while leaning forward over her desk.

Turning her head to the side and trying to be as quiet as possible, Rachel asked, "Is there something I can help you with, Quinn?"

"Yeah…" she said, and then ducked her head for a moment, attempting to stifle the laughter bubbling up in her throat. The other two girls nodded at her with snarky smiles, urging her on. "I was wondering if you could help me understand when exactly you started liking girls."

"I don't know why I should have to be the one to explain this to you, Quinn, but sexuality is fluid. Probably quite unlike what you've learned in church and from your parents. It's about who you click with, not their gender."

The blonde's face fell for a moment after hearing the barb, but she swiftly recovered. Prepared to deliver a blow that she hoped would get under Rachel's skin, and in extension Santana's. "You poor thing, I bet she told you that just to get you to sleep with her…"

"She isn't like that!" Rachel sniped. She turned around to face Quinn and her ever arched brow, giving her a glare that could put one of her girlfriend's to shame.

"You must delusional," Quinn said sweetly, with her head tilted coyly. That was until she practically growled, "Because she is exactly like that. In fact, that's all she is – a huge slut."

"Said the girl who had a baby at sixteen…" It was one thing for Rachel to be insulted, because unfortunately she was used to it. But to insult someone she cared about was an entirely different situation.

"_Ooh_," the two Cheerios murmured in unison, as their cheerleading captain's hazel eyes started to burn.

"You better take that back!"

Now it was Rachel's turn to smile as she righted herself in her seat. "It's difficult to retract a statement once it's already been said out loud. Even if I were to take it back, as you say, you would still know exactly what I think of you." Fingertips digging into her shoulder, made her turn back around and swat the hand away. It also left her once again, face to face with a very irate looking Quinn.

"You need to watch what you say to me," the blonde advised lowly. "You might think you're untouchable because you're supposedly dating the 'bad girl,'" she air quoted, "of this school, but Santana can't contend with me. I have the power over her and if she tries anything – because of _you_ or for any other silly reason – I'll have her kicked off the Cheerios so fast that it will make her head spin…and then she'll really be done with you."

Rachel swallowed thickly and felt she had no other choice but to nod her submission. Then, she raised her hand, calling out, "Mr. Schuester, may I go to the restroom, please?"

"Sure, go ahead, Rachel," Mr. Schuester answered, not bothering to turn away from the verb conjugations he was writing on the whiteboard.

"I knew you would see it my way," Quinn whispered.

"Better give in soon or she'll get bored!" one of the girls added evilly, as Rachel picked up her bag and moved towards the door.

Once out of the classroom, the petite brunette let her shoulders slump and she breathed deeply. She wasn't sure how something so petty had turned into such a hostile threat, but all she could think about was how awful she would feel if Santana was to get in trouble because of her. And for the first time since they began dating, Rachel began questioning things in her mind.

She tried to walk with her head held high as she made her way to the girls' bathroom, despite just having been figuratively knocked down. Pretending was easy to do, but it didn't make her feel any better about it. But something that did make her feel better was walking past one of the math classrooms and catching a short glimpse of Santana; a hardly noticeable smile on her lips as she bent over a notebook, scribbling with a pen. If Santana was willing to stay positive, then Rachel was going to try her hardest to do the same.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

When the first bell rang signaling that Glee club would begin in five minutes, Rachel was already in the choir room. Mike and Tina were the next to enter, and she met their knowing yet friendly smiles with a nod and as much of a smile as she could force back. Brittany came in soon after, running up to her after searching her out with frantic eyes.

"Rachel! Rachel, I have to tell you something!" she said in rushed whisper, as she clamored into the nearest chair and leaned in close. "Someone has been reading my mind!"

Rachel shook her head lightly and tried to appear interested to at least humor the oftentimes clueless girl. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone already knows your and Santana's secret!" the blonde shouted in alarm. "And I _promise_ I didn't tell anyone!"

"Rest assured, Brittany," Rachel said, her tone almost one of sadness as she recalled the sting of Quinn's words. Luckily, her unusual quietness was lost on Brittany. "Santana told Karofsky herself this morning when he slushied us, so of course he told everyone else in return. It's not your fault and no one has been reading your mind."

Brittany slumped back into the chair she had taken, obviously relieved. "Oh, good, it's already hard enough having a cat that reads my diary."

"Mhmm," the petite brunette murmured. She wasn't exactly feeling very talkative, she was just wondering when Santana would arrive so they could get everything done and over with, leaving everyone to think whatever they wanted to think.

"You know," Brittany mused out loud as she stared at the ceiling for no apparent reason. "I'm glad you're with Santana now," she said with a grin, suddenly snapping her head to the side to look at Rachel. "She needs someone like you to help her be brave. She likes to act tough, but really she's soft on the inside…like a marshmallow."

After that comment, Rachel couldn't help the smile and laugh that escaped her. It was one of the more intelligent statements Brittany had ever made, but it was so true and so uniquely her that she should have expected it. "I would have to agree with you and I'm glad you feel that way, Britt. I truly do appreciate your support."

Brittany nodded mutely and just continued to smile. It was apparent that her job was done once she had lightened the mood.

When Santana walked in a few moments later with Mercedes chatting alongside her, Rachel was taken aback but felt herself perk up as her girlfriend found her eyes and gave her a wave as she came towards her. "Hey," Santana greeted, smiling as she pulled a chair up to Rachel's side opposite of Brittany.

"Hey," Rachel forced herself to say with as much cheerfulness as possible. "How were your other classes?"

"Pretty uneventful, actually," Santana explained while unzipping her bag and rifling through the various books and folders for the ones she needed. "I mean, there were a few pervs leering at me in English but that's nothing new. They were probably trying to imagine me macking on my super hot girlfriend."

Brittany giggled and from a row down, Mercedes turned around to slap Santana with a high five as she exclaimed, "Get it, girl!" But Rachel could only eye the Latina with bewilderment.

"I know you wanted to tell everyone, but I thought you would be a little more apprehensive about this?" she whispered to Santana, her own nervousness now present in her voice.

Santana's brows came together as she tuned into her girlfriend's not so usual demeanor. Maybe just because the rest of her day had went smoothly, didn't mean that Rachel's had as well. She reached for Rachel's hand, only to have it flinch away.

"We haven't even told them yet…" Rachel said as she stared down at Santana's hand, which was close to resting in her lap. "Don't you want to…before we do _that_?"

"But almost everyone knows already and they're cool with it," Santana said. Then, realizing she was thinking more of herself than the two of them together, she added, "But if you want to keep it kind of hush, it's cool. You were willing to do it for me, so I'll do that for you. Can I ask what changed though?"

Just then, the final bell rang and Quinn made a sweeping grand entrance, laughing at something coquettishly as she dragged Sam in behind her. Rachel visible bristled, tweaked the adjustment of her headband, and said authoritatively, "I'll explain my subpar behavior later. For now, we have an announcement to make."

Next thing Santana knew, she was being determinedly ushered down to the front of the room. She shot a wondering glance at Mercedes, who had overheard the odd conversation, but she only shrugged in response. Santana may have loved women, but even while being one herself she would never claim to understand them – at all.

Rachel cleared her throat and began her speech before Mr. Schuester even had the chance to speak himself or underline any profound, single word lessons on the whiteboard. "If I may have your attention everyone, Santana and I have some rather important news that we would like to share with you. Whether you have already heard it or not is irrelevant, for the sake of being official I want you all to hear it from us."

With that, she paused for dramatic effect and pinned Quinn with the coldest stare she could muster. She knew that Santana wanted her for more than just the physical and she was going to prove it. Picking up her girlfriend's hand and weaving their fingers together, she continued.

"Santana and I, we are…" She paused again but this time it wasn't for effect.

"We're together," Santana finished boldly, squeezing Rachel's hand in hers.

"You can either support us or you can quietly have your own opinion and leave us alone," Rachel said after finding her voice again.

"And I'll just translate that for ya'll right now," Santana teased, pointing her finger over her classmates. "What she really means is you can shove it!"

Brittany stood up and erupted into applause, while the rest of the class laughed along and nodded approvingly. Even Quinn cracked a smile, or maybe it was more of a smirk as she and Rachel had a silent stare down while no one else took notice.

"You heard her, guys!" Mr. Schuester said, clapping his hand over Santana's shoulder. "But now it's time for set lists! Next stop, Regionals!"

The excitement continued as everyone was reminded of the win they had achieved before Christmas break. But Rachel wasn't showing her usual enthusiasm over the prospect of new song opportunities. In fact, as she and Santana took their seats again, she could only think about how disappointed she was with herself for letting Quinn ruin an otherwise good day.

"Did I miss it!" Puck nearly panted as he came through the door. He looked like he had run the entire way to class, despite the fact that he was still late.

"Um, miss what?" Mr. Schuester asked, eyeing his student.

"I wanted to know if it was true! I wanted to see Latin America and Jewish Princess kiss!"

"Can it, Puckerman!" Lauren yelled from the back row.

"Yeah, shut up!" Santana shouted. "Before Latin American comes down there and beats you for giving her girlfriend stupid nicknames!"

Puck's eyebrows nearly touched his mohawk when he realized that the rumors he had heard were true. "Damn, that's sexy," he whispered under his breath, shaking his head as he sat down.

Santana nudged Rachel with her shoulder. "I'm glad we did this…"

"Me too," Rachel replied, flashing a quick smile at her girlfriend, before going back to boring holes in the back of Quinn's head. She could practically see Quinn plotting Santana's downfall and she knew she wouldn't be able to put what she had said to rest.

* * *

**Uh oh, I told you it was going to get interesting! Never fear though, Rach and San are not - I repeat - are not ever breaking up! But...someone might be getting their ass kicked and let me just say that her name _doesn't_ start with a 'Q.' **

**Oh and btw, I already love you guys a super lot, but if you send reviews and Nyquil I'll love you all even more! I know, I know, I'm usually not one to whine for reviews but I'm sick so I'll make an exception today, haha! Thanks! :)**


	14. Almost Quickies & For Real Hickeys

**AN: Hey, guys! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites for this past chapter! I think they must've done the trick with making me feel better because I'm not sick anymore, yay! :) I don't really have much to say about this chapter except for get ready...this one sets the stage for some drama and um...a few other things...you'll figure out what I mean. ;)**

**Thanks to my anonymous reviewers - anna, wicked, Krys, and Ridderres!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and I don't care. Sigh...but I wish I did own Naya Rivera. I'll just keep dreaming. **

* * *

Chapter 14 – Almost Quickies & For Real Hickeys

_Oh my God, those things are sheer. Oh, fuck, I can practically see everything. Holy shit! She has a landing strip! I think I'm gonna die. I shouldn't be doing this right now. She's so innocent and unsuspecting and I'm a voyeuristic pervert. But I'm her girlfriend and I guess I should have some liberties, it's just simple appreciation for how smokin' hot and incredibly sexy she is. _

"I'm terribly sorry you have to sit through this, San, you've got to be bored," Rachel said in an apologetic tone, as she lowered the novel she had to read for one of her classes. She had hoped that the reading would help take her mind off of what had happened earlier in the day with Quinn, but so far it was only causing her to read slower and neglect Santana. "I'm trying to read as fast as possible and then we can do whatever we want."

"Oh, I'm fine, really…take your time…"

When Rachel had told Santana that she needed to read a few chapters of a book as assigned homework, Santana had thought that she would have been at least a little bored while waiting for her to finish. But that was only until Rachel decided to lie on the couch with her feet in Santana's lap. That was before she decided to prop one of her legs up in an itty bitty skirt, accidentally revealing her sheer white panties.

_If she just lifted her leg a little I would be able to see – oh God, she's doing it! She's lifting up her leg! Oh shit, oh fuck –_

"Santana, do you want to have sex?"

"What!" Santana almost shouted as she was knocked out of her twisted daydreams and nearly jumped out of her skin. She knew Rachel was intuitive and all, but she figured she must have really underestimated that mind reading claim for her to ask that kind of a question at that exact moment.

"Do you want to have sex?" Rachel repeated, sounding as nonchalant as before. She laid her book over her stomach and just stared, waiting for an answer.

Santana, now close to having a heart attack, was at a loss for words. "Um, um…right now? No! No, I don't want to…" Rachel's face visibly fell, so she tried another approach. "I mean, like maybe someday, but not now…I guess unless…unless you want to or something." The petite brunette's face fell even more, accompanied by her lip beginning to tremble and her eyes squeezing shut. "Okay, I want to, I want to! Don't cry! I'll have sex with you, just don't cry!"

Rachel began openly sobbing and buried her face in her hands, leaving Santana confused and scrambling to sit by her side. "Please, don't cry, Rach," Santana pleaded. Since she was usually the one having some type of mental breakdown, it was the first time she had seen her girlfriend truly upset and she hated it. She hated hearing the little whimpers and the breathy hiccups; to her there were few things worse than hearing a girl cry. "I'm sorry, I don't understand why you're upset. Tell me what's wrong?"

"Quinn," Rachel cried.

"No, my name is Santana. I'm your girlfriend, remember?" the Latina teased, trying to cheer Rachel up while at the same time figuring out what Quinn had to do with anything.

Rachel giggled through her tears. "No, Quinn said something to me today and it just upset me, I guess," she explained, pulling the taller girl to lie beside her on the couch so she could rest her head on her shoulder.

"What did she say?" Santana asked, stiffening with anger. If it caused such a reaction it was definitely worth getting angry over and she hadn't even heard it yet.

"Well…" Rachel hesitated and debated on whether or not telling her was a good idea. Then, everything just came out all at once anyway. "She told me that you only wanted me for sex and that you are a huge slut, but I don't believe her! I know that's not true, I know you want me for more than that, so don't get mad! I don't want you two to fight!"

"Hmm, I see…"

"Santana, please don't get angry! It was just a stupid comment and I like you a lot, so I just don't think I could handle having to visit you in a penitentiary on Saturdays." Rachel rambled nonsensically, her tears beginning to resurface. "And you're too pretty to go to jail, some frightening woman that resembles Coach Beiste would surely take advantage of you and it would just be _awful!_"

Santana was smiling as she pet Rachel's hair, but her sick mind was already thinking up all of the ways she could get Quinn dead and buried without anyone finding out. "Don't worry, I'm not angry." _Oh, hells yes, I'm angry!_ "I won't kill her." _Yes I will. _

"Y-You're really not?" Rachel sniffled, swiping her knuckle beneath her eyes.

"No…" Santana laughed with an almost creepy calmness. "I mean, yeah, I'm mad that she upset you. But she's Quinn, we already know she's a bitch. She's probably just jealous of us because she obviously hates her own life." _That whore is so dead tomorrow._

"I think you're probably right," the petite brunette said, finally calming down. "Now I just feel foolish for letting her upset me." There was a little more to the conversation, but Rachel figured if Santana wasn't willing to fight about it then everything would be fine. No fights, no getting kicked off the Cheerios.

"Anything I can do to make you feel better?" Santana asked, not intending to make innuendoes. She _was_ incredibly turned-on for a few obvious reasons, but she was doing her best to ignore that fact. She didn't need Quinn's word to take on any truths. "I could read your book to you while we get our cuddle on." She raised her eyebrows playfully but Rachel only shook her head in disagreement, not seeming pleased with the idea.

After flinging the book onto the floor, Rachel turned on her side to face the other girl. "Let's just make out," she said, sounding bored. She closed her eyes and leaned in, but after a few seconds of waiting she opened them again. "What?"

"Are you _trying_ to make me look bad?" Santana quizzed, a hint of humor in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

The Latina sat up a little, holding her head in her hand. "Today, someone told you that the only thing I want you for is sex and yet the only thing you want to do is make out?"

Rachel pursed her lips in annoyance and sat up as well. "And I already told you that I don't believe that, you've had plenty of chances that you haven't taken. Besides, I suggested _kissing_, not sex! Does that just mean you're never going to kiss me again?"

"No!" Santana disagreed. "And maybe I just wanted to survey the landscape before I dig in."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure," Rachel said sarcastically, before taking Santana's face in her hands and leaning in again. "Now, just shut up and kiss me."

Santana was too fast and dodged her with a smirk. "Make me."

With a sexy, frustrated growl Rachel tangled her hands in black hair and pulled her girlfriend over her, not giving the opportunity for her to get away. "You're too nice to stop me," she said up to Santana in a breathy whisper, before forcing their faces together.

"Mmm…" The Latina moaned in slight distress when she didn't open her mouth fast enough and sustained a hard nip to her bottom lip. Her tongue battled against Rachel's, but it was apparent that she wasn't going to win. Finally, she wrestled her head out of the smaller girl's grip, gasping, "You're just too much of a tease to know what's good for you."

Rachel hummed a laugh, one deep in her throat that gave away all evidence that she knew exactly what she was doing. And what she was doing was getting comfortable on her back, spreading her legs invitingly and pulling Santana to lie closer, so that she was practically straddling her thigh.

Santana couldn't fight it anymore and as she looked down between their bodies, to her denim clad thigh nestled between bare ones, she said huskily, "I hope you know what you're doing."

It was an opening to back out and a warning all at once, but Rachel had the audacity to look into dark brown eyes and grin. "I have a fairly clear idea…" Slower this time, she guided their mouths together, letting their tongues meld together just as their bodies were. She opened her legs further and raised her knees.

"Still know?" Santana whispered hotly as all of her weight settled between Rachel's legs, making her inhale sharply. The girl below her nodded hastily with eyes closed and threw her head back as best she could against the arm of the couch. It made Santana smirk to herself as she looked down on her, she wasn't so sly anymore. Santana knew it was her game now and she began rocking her hips in a gentle rhythm, swallowing Rachel's sighs and breaths as she settled her mouth over hers.

After a few minutes of kissing, Rachel was pushing and clawing at Santana's shoulders, but Santana was pushing back and attacking her neck. She knew what her girlfriend's body wanted and if the warm, wet heat against her upper thigh was any indicator, she was going to get it.

"It's so hot in here," Rachel panted, and then succeeded in pushing Santana away. Her hands found the hem of her sweater, ripped it off over her head, and then reached for the girl on top of her.

"What're you – mmm." Santana was cut off with a kiss. But her hands still managed to find Rachel's, struggling with them for a moment before just giving up and helping to work open the buttons of her shirt. It was hot, _way_ too hot.

Once they were both stripped down to tank tops, a groan of approval and alarm tore from Santana's throat as Rachel landed on her belt buckle and started pulling it apart. "No…no, stop," she said weakly, her voice tight and her back arching as the zipper of her jeans separated and knuckles brushed her newly bared lower stomach.

"The buckle was digging into me, just –" Rachel paused to pull Santana back into position, moaning softly when they met again. "Just, yeah…"

The Latina's body resumed the steady wave motion they had fallen into before, despite every red light in her mind telling her not to continue. It was just that Rachel felt so good underneath her and she was afraid that if she didn't keep her leg in place, it would be her hand running down to feel between their bodies instead.

"San…" Rachel breathed out, snaking her fingertips down her girlfriend's tense back and slipping them just beneath the waistband of her boy shorts.

"Ughn," Santana managed to grunt in response. She could hardly think of anything anymore besides commanding her leg to keep grinding into Rachel's center. Her forehead was against the smaller girl's chest and she was kissing what skin she could reach. She could feel the sweat starting to gather at her hairline from a combination of too many clothes and overheated flesh. And the way Rachel's other hand was holding and keeping her close by the straps of her tank top and bra didn't help either.

_"San, San…"_

Rachel's voice in her head was like a demon possessing her and before Santana could stop herself, she had fought past the odd position and taken Rachel's hips between her hands. Using the extra leverage to guide Rachel to thrust against her.

Santana could hear the rapid heartbeats under her ear and a smile began to play on her lips when she felt Rachel's legs start to tremble. But when the front door suddenly slammed open she was on her feet within fractions of a second and Rachel was crying out at the loss of contact.

"Fuck," Santana hissed under her breath, as she picked up Rachel's sweater and tossed it at her.

"Who is it?" Rachel whispered, trying to keep the quiver from her voice as she put her top back on. Her fingers were shaking, her limbs felt like jelly, and looking at Santana – tousled and sweaty – only made it worse.

"The twins, I think," Santana said, sounding completely exasperated and disoriented. She ran her hands through her hair, looking as if she didn't know what to do with herself. "Jesus, that was close…"

"You don't even know," the petite brunette mumbled.

Santana hadn't been referring to _that_ when she had made the comment, but it brought her back to reality and soon she couldn't help but grin. "I'm so sorry, baby girl," she whispered through a smile, as she kneeled in front of Rachel and combed her hair back for her.

Rachel rolled her eyes and let her head fall to her girlfriend's shoulder, but she knew it wasn't going to last as she could hear running feet fast approaching.

"Santí, we're home!" one of the twins called as they ran into the room. Santana stood up, prepared for the usual greeting of a hug and a kiss when her sisters arrived home. But when the two young girls saw Rachel sitting on the couch, their faces lit up and their older sister might as well have been invisible.

"Hey, girls, did you have a good day back at school?" Rachel laughed as she was nearly attacked, and both girls clamored to sit in on her lap.

"School is boring!" Noelia informed.

"Yeah! Boring!" Isabel seconded, and then buried her face in Rachel's neck. It was making the older girl slightly uncomfortable considering Santana's lips and tongue had just been all over her neck doing who knows what.

"Hey, you little brats," Santana teased. "Did you forget that there's someone else in the room too?"

The twins giggled, peeked out at their sister and then hid against the other girl. Rachel shrugged and then her face flushed heavily as she noticed something on Santana's jeans – a dark wet spot on her upper thigh. As much as she didn't want to, she still tried to gesture her finding to her girlfriend without the twins noticing.

_"Your jeans…"_ Rachel mouthed to Santana, who shook her head in confusion and tried to lip read. _"Your jeans! Look down!"_

When the message clicked, Santana scrambled to find her discarded shirt and then used it to cover her leg. It would have been embarrassing to have to explain to her sisters, but she also couldn't deny that it was pretty hot. She had almost – and definitely would have – made her girlfriend come by hardly even touching her and now all she could think about was getting a look up that skirt to see the aftermath of their impromptu grind fest. Wet sheer panties could only mean one thing – transparency.

Santana's lewd thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Isabel's innocent voice asking, "Rachel, what happened to your neck?" Then, she looked on with horror as her little sister carefully inspected the purpling mark she had left on her girlfriend's skin.

"Whatever do you mean, Isabel?" Rachel asked cheerfully, yet while glaring directly into Santana's eyes.

"You got a big bruise. Did you hurt yourself?" Isabel continued to study the mark, pushing Rachel's face up to get a better look. But that didn't break Rachel's piercing gaze and Santana felt her stomach sink with guilt.

"Lemme see it!" Noelia demanded, turning Rachel's head the other way. "Ew, it looks gross! I think a vampire bit you," she laughed.

"A vampire, yes, I'm sure that's exactly what it's from," Rachel said coolly, as she extracted herself from the twins and stood up. "But if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go have a look at whatever damage has been done to my neck for myself."

The petite brunette disappeared up the stairs and Santana brushed her palm over her face. _"Fuck…"_

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"That won't do anything…"

Santana had just slipped into the bathroom and was referring to the cold cloth her girlfriend was pressing to her neck. Rachel tossed the cloth into the sink, sighing, "Well, I don't know what would help considering you left a set of dental impressions in my flesh. I guess I should just be appreciative that you didn't tear out a vocal cord."

The Latina winced at the other girl's tone. She had heard her speak like that before, but it had never before been directed at her. "I'm really sorry…" she said apologetically, looking down at the floor. She truly did feel bad. She had given both Puck and Brittany hickeys before, but they hadn't minded. And the last thing she wanted to do was put the idea into Rachel's head that she was some sort of mindless beast who couldn't control herself during an intimate moment. "I got carried away…I'm sorry."

Eventually, Rachel dissolved into a soft smile. "It's not your fault," she said, shaking her head. "You weren't the only one that got carried away _and_ it's not like I was voicing any complaints."

"So, you're not mad at me for going all True Blood on you?"

"No…" Rachel chuckled. "I'm mostly upset with myself."

"But why?" Santana asked curiously, and then crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back of the door. She figured it would be best to keep her hands to herself for a while and she wasn't sure if anymore touching would be welcome at the moment anyway.

Rachel toyed with the hem of her sweater, the same sweater that she had been so willing to shed before. Her eyes were cast downward in an almost self conscious manner and Santana could only hope that that wasn't the reason. "Just because I always promised myself that my first time would be special," she said quietly. "I turned down Jesse St. James for a reason and I just don't want my first foray into love making to be meaningless…"

Santana probably would have laughed at Rachel's awkward terms if a new wave of guilt and hurt hadn't suddenly washed over her. "Oh…" She knew she couldn't be angry with Rachel for thinking that they weren't meant to share that experience. She knew it wasn't her decision; it was Rachel's, considering it was her body and her life. But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt to hear. She was used to be being betrayed and rejected, but not when it came to sex and not by the only person who she could have seen herself being truly and actually physically intimate with.

When Rachel finally looked away from her sweater, she noticed that Santana's chin was nearly touching her chest and she was clenching her jaw like she was known to do when she was upset. "Oh, you thought I meant –" Rachel began, only to realize that she didn't really know what she was saying. "I didn't mean to liken you to Jesse or to imply that you wouldn't be special enough in that respect…actually I believe quite the opposite."

The admission was followed by her cheeks taking on a deep blush and Santana's eyes lifting questioningly, waiting for her to go on.

"I could never _imagine_ myself being with Jesse like that, but with you…" She cleared her throat, once again unable to look at Santana. "With you, I didn't even have to try to imagine it. It just happens."

_That's hot,_ was what Santana wanted to say out loud, but she knew the situation was a little more serious and delicate than that. While she had felt hurt before, she now felt nervous over the fact that Rachel actually did find her to be someone that she would share her virginity with. "We can go slowly," the Latina explained softly, wishing that her girlfriend would look up at her so she would know she was being sincere. "It doesn't have to happen now or even ever. Ever with me, I mean. But if you think that's what you might want someday, then…"

"Then you'd be down with that," Rachel smiled, playfully using the phrase that Santana loved to overuse.

"I would be _so_ down with that," Santana answered. The phrase may not have been the most eloquent, but the expression in her dark eyes and the tone of her voice conveyed her appreciation for what Rachel was telling her and willing to share with her. And they understood each other perfectly.

After crossing the bathroom, Rachel went to her girlfriend, standing against her and resting her cheek on her chest. "I know I want to be with you, Santana," she whispered. "And I think we should wait at least a little longer, but when we're ready we should just let it happen when it happens."

Santana's fingers found Rachel's hair and twirled it absently. As she stared over the top of the smaller girl's head, she didn't know whether to be scared of or excited about the knot of emotions forming in her stomach. The closeness she felt with Rachel blew her away already. If they got even closer she didn't know how she was going to feel.

"Anything you want, Rachel…I'll give you anything you want…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

The next day after Cheerios practice, Santana was running on just the right amount of pent up sexual frustration, annoyance, and adrenaline to defy authority. And she got a grim type of satisfaction from the way Quinn's eyes flickered with initial fear when she turned her around by the shoulder and shoved her up against the lockers.

"If you have something to say to Rachel about me, why don't you just say it to me first?" Santana raged, pinning Quinn with a forearm across her upper chest.

Coach Sylvester – with her pseudo-assistant, Becky – wasn't quite finished assaulting some unfortunate members of the team, so a circle of prying eyes immediately surrounding the scene. It was like vultures to a carcass, because someone was about to go down. It didn't matter if they were supposed to be united as a team. When the weakest fell someone was going to be there to pick apart what was left; it was simply their nature.

"_Ugh!_" Quinn spat in a sort of shriek. Probably to attract more attention and get her attacker into more trouble if she could. "Get _off_ me!" she demanded, wresting herself away from the lockers and going straight for the throat. Santana thrashed her head and pulled back, hissing in pain when fingernails that should have been short by cheerleading code dug grooves into the side of her neck.

"So, Rachy cried to her girlfriend and told on me, huh!" the blonde said, her normally pretty features screwed up in an evilly pleased sneer. She stood her ground, unafraid of the seething girl in front of her. She knew that at any moment their Coach could come walking in and that Santana wasn't stupid enough to chance her witnessing another full on attack.

"Shut up!" Santana shouted, reaching out to grab a fistful of uniform only to be restrained and pulled back against a taller figure.

"You're gonna get in trouble, stop," Brittany insisted in her ear.

"I don't care!" the Latina said forcefully. She was trying to pry Brittany's arm from around her waist, but she was no match for her friend's strength and it gave Quinn all the more reason to smirk at her. "It's me you have a problem with," she went on, her eyes trained on the smug blonde that she used to consider a friend. "And if you keep messing with Rachel I'm going to kick your ass, you stupid bitch!"

Quinn took the insult in stride and gave a sarcastic laugh. She knew she was in the clear and turned back around to open her locker, while chirping, "Yes, your ability to do that is completely apparent…"

Santana growled her frustration and insult and attempted to catch Quinn in the head with one of her Nikes, but Brittany was too fast. And soon she was being carted away to a shower stall, kicking and screaming, while Quinn and the rest of her teammates cackled in amusement.

"You need to just stop, San," Brittany gently advised, as she finally released Santana and used her body and the half-walls to keep her contained.

The brunette made one pass at knocking Brittany out of her way before realizing she was causing her friend more harm than she had done at all to Quinn and finally gave up. "Why won't you just let me hit her?" Santana asked. She was out of breath and trying to see her enemy over Brittany's shoulder. "Just one good hit…"

Brittany took the shorter girl by the shoulders and instead of giving her the hard shake she needed to knock some sense into her, she just repeated, "Stop…"

Santana sighed and let her muscles relax under the other girl's hands. "Fine…"

"Good," Brittany said, her seriousness starting to fade in place of her usual cheerfulness. She wrapped her friend up in a tight hug and set her chin on top of her head. "Now, you better start being nice or I'm telling Rachel you're being a trouble maker. You know she wouldn't like that."

"You better not tell…" Santana mumbled against fabric. She had meant to sound threatening, but that never really worked when it came to the people she cared about.

"Or what?"

"Or…or…never mind," the brunette began, only to find that she couldn't go on because it wouldn't be the truth anyway. She huffed helplessly and gave Brittany's shoulder an affectionate headbutt. "I just don't understand her, Britt. I don't understand what happened to the three of us. Why can't she stand to see one of us happy?"

The tall blonde stayed quiet for a few moments, gathering her thoughts into what was probably the most accurate interpretation of their long lost friend turned heartless cheerleading captain. "I think she really does like it when we're happy, San. I think she just doesn't like it that she's not happy too."

"People don't give you enough credit," Santana said as she pulled away.

"I know!" Brittany laughed, blissfully unaffected. She bumped her hip against Santana's, nearly knocking her over before linking their arms. "Now, come on! I think there's this cute girl waiting for you to watch her rehearse in the auditory drum."

The thought of hearing Rachel sing put a smile on Santana's face and she allowed herself to be dragged out of the locker room. "Auditor-_ium_, Britt, auditorium."

"Yeah, that!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

From her elevated position, Rachel had spotted her girlfriend emerging from the shadows of the back entrance that the stage lights couldn't quite illuminate. Without bothering to put her microphone back in its stand, she practically sprinted to the side of the stage, down the small set of steps and up the aisle, before crashing into Santana.

"Whoa!" The single word was knocked out of the Latina along with her breath and a smile. She was glad she had seen her tiny hurricane of girlfriend coming her way; otherwise they probably both would have been lying on the thin, musty carpeting. "Good rehearsal?" she laughed, as she returned the embrace. She felt her face heat up knowing that the rest of Glee club was watching them. It wasn't embarrassing, it was just hard to get used to the fact that she and Rachel had suddenly come into the spotlight within their small circle.

"No, horrendous, actually," Rachel said with pep, despite the topic.

"Why so excited, then?"

Rachel flexed her fingers into Santana's back, squeezing her tighter and making her stoop lower. "I can't be excited about seeing my girlfriend?"

"Oh…um, yeah, you can," Santana replied, not having expected that to be the reason. "So, what's wrong? Why is this rehearsal so whack?"

Rachel shifted onto her tiptoes, brushing her lips against the taller girl's ear while her eyes shifted accusingly to the man standing at the front of the stage. "Mr. Schuester – as usual – seems to distrust my judgment on the notion of using original songs for Regionals. He's holding firm to his belief that we should perform numbers of the soft rock genre. Little does he know that I've been working on original songs that are almost guaranteed to break through his front of oppression and lack of creativity."

"Well, I think…no, I know, that your songs will do just that," the Latina whispered.

Rachel was beaming when she leaned away and then pecked Santana's cheek. "I'm so glad to hear your enthusiasm! I've almost finished the one I've dedicated to you and it should be ready for a debut performance within a few days!"

A laugh threatened to spill from Santana, but judging from Rachel's unwavering smile she figured it wasn't time for laughter. She was being completely serious. "You…uh…you wrote a song for me?" Santana asked tightly, still trying not to laugh. She should have been flattered, but she just didn't know what to expect.

Raising her index finger and tapping her girlfriend's nose, Rachel announced, "No, silly! I wrote a song _about _you!"

"Ohhh…" Santana drawled out and then forced herself to smile along with the petite brunette. "A song about me…that's cool?" The statement came out as more of a question, but luckily Rachel didn't seem to notice.

"Isn't it though?" Rachel said, her voice sounding dreamy and whimsical. "It's titled _My Red Hot Girlfriend._" She had raised her hand in the air, waving it in an arc for emphasis.

Down in the first few rows of seats, Santana could hear Brittany, Tina, and Mercedes giggling and so obviously listening in on the conversation. Slowly, she nodded her approval. "My Red Hot Girlfriend, huh? Definitely sounds like me," she said with a cocky shrug.

"I knew you would love it!" Rachel exclaimed and then clapped her hands together. "I can't wait to perform it for you!"

Truthfully, she may have been a little freaked out by the gesture but there was no way Santana could ever disappoint the little diva in front of her. "And I can't wait to hear it," she said softly, which was followed with a chorus of 'awws' from the eavesdropping peanut gallery.

While Rachel had looked intense while speaking about her freshly penned songs, her eyes took on a whole new level of concentration when she suddenly noticed something on Santana's neck.

"Baby, what happened?"

Santana's hand immediately shot to the area at the side of her neck where she remembered feeling Quinn dig at her skin. "Oh, this," she said, and then paused long enough to formulate a suitable white lie. "Some dumb JV girl fell during a lift and tried to behead me. It was so lame."

Rachel's brows furrowed together as she inspected the red welts that had just broken the surface of tan skin and clucked her tongue. "Such a dangerous extracurricular activity," she mumbled to herself more than anyone. She then leaned in again and kissed the small injury, making Santana slyly look around to see who was still watching them.

"Be more careful next time," Rachel quietly advised, making eye contact as she patted the other girl's shoulder.

A twinge of guilt hit Santana right in the heart that Rachel had been rapidly winning over. "I will…"

* * *

**So, Quinn obviously has something up her sleeve and our girls are getting closer...hmm... ;)**


	15. Original Songs

**AN: Hey ya'll, I'm gonna make this one quick because it's two in the morning and I have to be up in five hours! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts! As the title of the chapter states, this is where you get to see the original song(s)! Yep, that's plural, as in I had to come up with (sort of) two songs. Hopefully you guys like them, they're definitely just meant to be humorous because I am no song writer, that's for sure! Enjoy and thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: No, no, and no...**

* * *

Chapter 15 – Original Songs

"Baby, where's your hairbrush?" Rachel asked as she scoured the makeup cluttered vanity in the room.

"What do you need a brush for? You have your in a French braid," Santana practically groaned from her position lounging against the headboard of her bed. "And speaking of all things French, why don't you come back over here and keep kissin' on me?"

"Santana…" Rachel huffed, straightening up with her hands on her hips and catching the other girl's eyes in the vanity mirror. "When your girlfriend asks something of you the appropriate thing to do is to listen to her."

"Honeymoon is over," the Latina mumbled to herself, and then got up from the bed. She opened a drawer and purposely pulled out exactly what Rachel didn't want. Smiling impishly, she handed over the item. "Here, have a comb."

"_Santana…"_

"Fine, fine…have your brush," Santana laughed.

Rachel snatched the lime green brush away with an exaggerated eye roll. "Thank you! Now, go sit back down on the bed."

Santana tossed a confused glance over her shoulder as she obeyed. "Damn, girl, you're getting a little demanding," she said, throwing herself down on the mattress. "You're not about to spank me with that thing, are you? Because I don't know if we should be getting that kinky just yet."

A stomp of Rachel's small foot cut off Santana's chuckles. "I'm _trying_ to sing a song for you! You know, the one I spent the last week pouring over and painstakingly perfecting!"

At that, Santana turned serious – too serious. She clasped her hands in her lap and sat up tall, but her mischievous smile was hardly concealed. She had to do something to distract from the fact that she was worried and scared of whatever oddities Rachel had managed to put into song. Acting like a clown was an easy way to keep smiling, because there was no way she was going to let Rachel think that she was anything short of an amazing song writer – even if it did suck.

"That's better. Now, just be quiet and enjoy the privilege of being able to listen to my gorgeous, pitch perfect voice," Rachel informed, and then cocked her head and put on her best cheesy show face. After clearing her throat, she raised the tightly clutched brush and closed her eyes…

_You're red hot like cinnamon, and lucky for me you happen to like women._

_You make my heart race, and I have a great love for your face._

_You give me the most purple of hickeys, you want more than meaningless quickies._

_You're a hot and spicy Latina, you set me on fire like a jalapeña. _

_You're my red hot girlfriend!_

The short tune ended with Rachel thrusting her balled up fist in the air and her eyes finally slid open moments later, alight with victory. Santana on the other hand was hurrying to close her mouth and grin in a forced way that didn't reveal that she was about to burst with laughter.

"Do you love it!" Rachel asked excitedly.

Santana just continued to grin like a maniac, but before long she couldn't keep the corners of her lips from twitching and soon she was on her back looking and sounding even more like a maniac. "Rach! You of all people should know that _jalapeña_ isn't a real word!" she laughed, as she rolled from side to side. She wasn't quite sure if Rachel was insane for actually thinking she was going to sing that song at Regionals, or if she was insane for dating someone who could be so insane at times. "You are so not singing that song! Even if Mr. Schuester does approve – which he won't!"

"You hate it!"

A flash of lime green went whizzing past the side of Santana's head and a thump on the carpet made her raise her hands in defense. Sitting up quickly, she looked back to the brush on the floor and then to the girl covering her face in the middle of the room. But when that girl started to cry Santana was by her side in no time.

_ Two times in one week! She's gotta be PMS-ing! No, Santana, that's so mean! Bad girlfriend, bad!_

"I don't hate it," Santana whispered, after wrapping her arms around Rachel. "I could never hate it. It's all true, so what's not to love. I just think that maybe it's a song that you should just sing to me…in the privacy of my room."

"Whatever…sorry about the brush, I wasn't actually trying to hit you," Rachel's dejected tone being muffled by the material of her sweatshirt was enough to convince Santana that she really was a bad girlfriend. But it also gave her the opportunity to give an impromptu performance of the playful song she had written for Rachel. She couldn't have known that it would mirror the humor of Rachel's song so well and she hadn't planned on revealing it during such circumstances, but she hoped it would cheer her up either way.

"You know, after you told me you were writing songs I decided to write one of my own…"

"Really…" Rachel asked slowly, as she looked up. Her eyes were completely dry and void of any evidence of tears, making Santana think that she had fallen for another of her girlfriend's many talents – the ability to cry on cue.

Walking backwards, the Latina guided Rachel to sit down on the bed where she had been. Then, she shrugged her sweatshirt off over her head and tossed it in Rachel's lap, leaving only her t-shirt. "Here, you hold that," she said, and proceeded to roll her shoulders and tousle her hair with her fingertips. "It's got kind of a sexy feel, so I just want to set the mood, ya know…"

The petite brunette's eyebrows shot up, but then a wide grin took over her face and she bit her lip in anticipation. Santana turned away, already feeling pleased with herself as she got ready to begin.

_"Pretty face…"_ she sang as she turned back around and found Rachel kicking her feet with excitement. _"Loudy mouth…" _The feet stopped moving and were replaced with crossed arms, but Santana stayed in character, pushing her hand down her stomach as she added, _"Wonder how you'll sound when __**my**__ lips are kissin' south?"_

_ "Super loud, pouty lips…" _Reaching out, she attempted to run her fingertips over Rachel's lips but she snapped her head away. Not taking no for an answer, Santana cupped the side of her face and sang the next line with her breath whispering past Rachel's ear. _"I love suckin' on those non-stop movin' lips."_

Then, she straightened up swiftly and threw her hand in the air in an exact imitation of her now vexed girlfriend. She also added a little hip gyrating for that extra oomph. _"I can't wait to find out, how loud you'll be in bed! If you tried hard enough you could implode my head! Woo!"_

"So, what do you think?" Santana asked after taking a few deep breaths.

"What am I supposed to think?" Rachel questioned back, her voice haughty. "Considering the subject matter and the sexual nature, it was both highly inappropriate _and_ offensive. It – "

"Oh! Come on! I was just joking!" The taller brunette flopped down on the bed again, causing the girl who was already seated to toss her hair and scoot further away.

"It was rude…"

"But I love your loudy mouth and besides, you just sang a song about me giving you hickeys! I think we're even!"

Rachel just sighed, not bothering to give a reply. Having to follow through with her song writing for Regionals was proving to be more stressful than she had imagined. "How long did it take you to write that song anyway?" she asked blandly, while staring at the wall and looking depressed.

"I don't know, maybe ten minutes," Santana shrugged.

Now, it was Rachel's turn to flop down on the bed in a show of frustration. Bringing her palms up to cover her forehead, she groaned, "This is a deplorable situation! How am I ever going to write a suitable original song! It took me all week to write that stupid song and it sucks! My whole life sucks!"

"Hey, calm down!" Santana demanded, as she moved to lie over Rachel. "First of all, it doesn't suck. I love it and I'm going to replay it in my head every night before I fall asleep." She pried the petite brunette's hands away from her face and looked into her dark eyes. "Second, I know you'll come up with something amazing because you're my girlfriend, and I only associate myself with people who are just as amazing as me. And third, tomorrow is Friday and I think you should let me take you out after school."

"Will you really think of it every night before you go to bed?"

"Yes. But I just asked you to go out on a date with me and that's all you have to say?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes in contemplation, somehow still basically ignoring the person lying on top of her. "Oh, right. But actually I can't, I have to rehearse again after school."

"After rehearsals then?" Santana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How could there be rehearsals when there were no songs written to rehearse anyway?

"Hmm…okay!" Rachel chirped, and then kissed the tip of Santana's nose.

"Perfect. Now, lemme get some of that loudy mouth…"

They shared a few languid kisses until a muffled crash made Santana growl and Rachel stiffen, asking, "What was that?"

"What do you think?" Santana was getting up without waiting for an answer, because more likely than not the noise had come from the twins crashing her car through the garage door or throwing a set of dishes down the stairs or anything else that six year olds did while their sixteen year old sister tried to get her mack on. "I need to book a babysitter and we need to start going to your house after school because these interruptions are really starting to piss me off…"

"Now, now, Santana, settle down," Rachel said in a calming voice, while following the other girl out the door and towards the stairs. "The reason we come to your house is because children don't know what hickeys are and my dads do. Let's just go see what they're up to this time…maybe it's nothing."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and found Noelia and Isabel grunting and flailing on the floor in a tangle of limbs, Santana threw her arms up. "Yeah, that looks like nothing! It looks like a fight to the death," she said loudly, and then took each twin by an arm and pulled. "What are you doing!"

"Hey! Stop!" Isabel demanded, while still trying to grab at her sister. She was out of breath, but smiling and giggling nonetheless. Noelia made another pass at Isabel, only to have the older girl keep them at a distance.

"No, you stop!" Santana shot back. "And what are you two laughing about? Stop trying to kill each other!"

"We're not!" Noelia laughed. "We're wrestling!"

Santana already had her mouth open to continue scolding them, but paused when she realized Rachel had been correct. They really weren't fighting after all – not for real anyway. "Well…" she began, "Just stop anyway! Someone is going to end up getting hurt."

"Aw, geez, San," Rachel said as she came up from behind and took Santana around the waist. "You're no fun!"

"Don't encourage them," the Latina said nonchalantly, not aware that she had already fallen into a trap. In the next instant she was tackled to the floor, the twins sitting on her legs and her traitorous girlfriend pinning her arms above her head.

"What are you going to do now, big sis'?" Rachel taunted.

"Rachel!" Santana half whined, half laughed. She was twisting and turning to free herself, but she had been outnumbered by an army of below average size humans. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"So, girls, I've learned a lot about Santana in the past few weeks, but one thing I haven't learned is if she's ticklish or not," Rachel said, risking her girlfriend's escape by letting go and placing a finger to her chin. "So, is she?"

_"Yes!"_

"No! No! _No!" _Santana screamed in protest. It was too late though; the twins were already tickling her ribs and making her laugh and shout and beg for mercy all at once.

Rachel hovered over her with a wicked smile. "Tell me I'm the best girlfriend ever and maybe I'll let you go…"

"Never!"

"Okay, girls, keep going…"

"No! No, please!"

"What the hell is going on in here!"

All of the girls jumped at the sudden voice and their heads swiveled to the front door where Andres stood, his workbag slung over his shoulder haphazardly and panting like he had just run up the driveway. Normally, Santana would have been mortified to have her father find her in such a state. But she was having too much fun even if she was sort of being tortured, and she just giggled, "We're wrestling!"

_"Jesus, _Santana," he breathed out, and then ran his hand over his face and into his hair. "You sounded like someone was trying to murder you…"

Rachel had already let go, so Santana sat up and straightened out her clothes. "Sorry…"

Andres just shook his head. "It's okay, you just had me worried. So, who's your other captor?"

Santana turned to look at Rachel and before she could stop herself she was blushing and grinning. "Um…" she looked at the petite brunette again, suddenly feeling tongue tied. "Um, papi…this is Rachel Berry, mi novia."

"Girlfriend, huh?" he echoed the translation, and then walked over to where Rachel was still kneeling on the floor and offered his hand. She scrambled to get up, but he quickly stopped her. "No, no, you can stay there. I'm Andres, it's a pleasure to meet you, Rachel," he said with a warm smile.

"Y-You too," Rachel stammered, but managed to smile back up at him. She was a bit awestruck. She had been expecting Santana's father to be some strict, serious looking man, not a handsome charmer. But then again, maybe she should have expected it when Santana was the same way – beautiful and charming.

After putting down his bag, Andres sat down on the floor, shocking all the occupants of the room. "So, I'm glad to see that you can keep up with my girls…" he commented. The twins were eyeing each other over their father's strange behavior and shooting confused looks at Santana, who seemed just as flummoxed.

"Of course…" Rachel said with a nod of agreement. "They're great kids."

"And what about this one?" Andres asked, as he reached out to set his arm around Santana's shoulders. "What do you think of her?"

Rachel ducked her head and then shyly glanced at her girlfriend. "I like her a lot. She's great too."

"Papi…" Noelia said, cautiously trying to get her father's attention in a way that made Santana's stomach ache with a pain she couldn't quite place, but knew well. She was just glad that at least Noelia was willing to speak, unlike Isabel who had become quiet and withdrawn in a matter of minutes.

"Yes?" Andres smiled good-naturedly, like he was completely unaware of the change of mood in the room. It was a fact Santana was unwilling to believe, there was no way he couldn't realize that his younger daughters basically treated him with the uncertainty of a stranger.

Noelia subconsciously leaned closer to Rachel and away from the older man, as she fidgeted with her fingers and said, "Rachel is super nice. She likes to play with us and she's good at singing just like Santí…"

"She's better than me," Santana added quietly.

Andres just continued to smile although not as easily as he had been and Rachel tried to as well, unsure of what to say or if she should say anything at all.

_This is so awkward,_ Santana thought to herself, while at the same time feeling guilty for not wanting her father there and for not being able to fix the situation. _Please, just leave._

"Alright, well, you girls have fun," Andres eventually said as he stood up, bringing his bag with him. "I'm going to go downstairs and see if I can catch a game on ESPN or something."

Santana nodded but looked away from him, not able to meet his eyes. While walking past her, he ran a hand through her hair, saying, "Good work, mija." To which she replied with a hardly audible, "Thank you…" She knew he was congratulating her on being with Rachel; she was her first official girlfriend after all. But her mind couldn't help but wander to the other things she had done well, like basically raising herself and the twins, holding their household together, holding their lives together.

"Oh, and Rachel, I'm sure Santana is taking care of you, but please help yourself to whatever you want, whenever you want," Andres added before finally disappearing down the stairwell to the basement.

Santana sighed in relief and dropped her head into her hand. "And…all good things come to an end." Rachel gave her a wondering look and she further explained, "Going down to the basement to catch a game loosely translates to going down to the mini bar to get blitzed."

Biting her lip and knowing that no words she could say would make her girlfriend's pain go away, Rachel moved closer to her and pulled her into a hug. She ran her fingertips through Santana's dark hair and traced them up and down her spine, wishing she could take away even a little bit of what she was feeling.

"It just makes it hurt worse when he does stuff like that," the Latina whispered into the safety and comfort of Rachel's embrace.

"At least he tried…"

Santana shrugged, but eventually nodded in agreement. "I'm only acknowledging that because he tried for you." She reached out and took Isabel's hand, making her look up from the carpeting so she could give her a soft, reassuring smile.

"Maybe it will get better someday," Rachel mused aloud.

"You could never understand how badly I want that…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel was known to fixate on things, Broadway, Barbra Streisand, and most recently Santana. But while she had realized that all of the phone calls, hang outs, and flirty text messages had transformed into a full blown obsession unlike the others, her fathers had as well.

"Oh, darling daughter!" Leroy sing-songed from the kitchen table, as he watched the brunette breeze through the room to take a water bottle and an apple from the countertop.

"Yes, Daddy?" she asked absentmindedly. She was too busy to look up, instead juggling the items she had just picked up and her cell phone, which she was tapping away at with a slight smile. There was no doubt as to who would be receiving the text.

"You're going out with Santana after school this afternoon, correct?"

Still pressing keys on her phone, she replied, "Yes, I informed you of my plans last night…"

"I know, and I'm assuming that since you're going out that you two are going to be alone, also correct?"

"Yes…" Rachel said slowly, while finally looking up with a curious expression. "What's with this interrogation?"

"Well…" Hiram began, as he came up behind his daughter, effectively trapping her into the kitchen. "We wanted to talk to you about the time you spend alone with Santana. The time she's been using to give you those colorful hickeys."

Rachel nearly dropped everything in her hands as she tried to swiftly move her loose hair to cover her neck. "It was only one and she didn't mean to!" she blurted out defensively, but while still looking guilty.

Both men looked to each other and shook their heads in unison. "Just sit down with us for a moment, Rach," Hiram advised, before pulling a chair out from the table for her and himself.

After crossing her arms tightly and sitting down with stiff, jerky movements, Rachel huffed, "Fine, I'll sit with you. But I'll have you know that this is interrupting my morning routine. It could throw off my entire day." With the purpose of showing her annoyance, she methodically placed her cell phone, the water bottle, and the apple on the table top one by one.

"I'm sure you're day will be fine," Leroy told her, while stirring sugar into his coffee and ignoring her antics. "Now, what we want to talk to you about is how much you and Santana _so obviously_ like each other."

"Oh no!" Rachel interrupted, raising a hand in the air in protest. "We already had this conversation when I was twelve and we don't need to have it again!"

"Rachel, please, just listen to us," Hiram insisted. "You're not in trouble. It's just that when we had that conversation you weren't in a relationship, but now you are and we just want to make sure that you're being responsible."

The petite brunette couldn't even look her fathers in the eyes anymore, so she stared at the wall like she had absolutely no interest in the conversation. Which really, she didn't. "We're being responsible, so you don't have to worry about that."

Leroy kicked her foot under the table, laughing, "And that's why you have that hickey on your neck, right?"

"That happened in a moment of passion!" Rachel fired back and before she could realize what she had said the damage had already been done.

"That's exactly our point – or _my_ point at least," Hiram said, and then directed a glare at his husband before looking back to his daughter. "Things happen in the heat of the moment. Things you sometimes can't control."

"You make a valid point, continue…" the teenage girl practically growled.

"We just want you to be aware of what can happen when you become intimate with someone. There are a lot of feelings and emotions –"

Leroy cut in again with, "_A lot_ of emotions, considering you're both girls…"

"Daddy, that's stereotypical and sexist!"

"Well, it's true!"

"Well, at least we can't get each other pregnant!" Rachel shot back, and then cocked her head with a smirk. No one could argue that statement unless it was Santana with some very surprising news about her anatomy.

Leroy just laughed and sipped his coffee, not at all fazed. "Also, true! Also the exact reason why I preferred Santana the moment she walked in the door."

"You two are impossible," Hiram sighed.

"Look, Dad," Rachel said, as she flopped her hand onto the table in surrender. "I know what you're trying to tell me and I'm mature enough to understand why it's important. I've thought a lot about it myself…"

Hiram reached out to take Rachel's hand and she resisted the urge to pull it away. She was done with the conversation and as much as she loved her fathers, the only person whose hand she wanted to hold at the moment was Santana's. "We can't stop you two but we can ask that you be safe and above all else, be honest with each other," he said. "If you're going to be intimate then you have to be ready for it, and so does she. You have to talk to each other, understand?"

"Understood. But may I please leave now?" Rachel asked, the whine in her voice thinly disguised. "If I hear the word intimate one more time I won't ever have the chance to be intimate with someone because I'll die," she said blandly.

"Yes, drama queen, you may go. Have a good day at school and tell Santana we said hello."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she gathered up her things and headed for the door. "Oh, sure, I'll tell her all about our _intimate_ discussion."

Right before the door closed behind her, Leroy yelled, "That's okay, sweetie! We'll just invite her over for the next one!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"You would not believe the mo –"

Before Rachel could rant any further a hand was carefully placed over her mouth and held there. "That's no way to greet your girlfriend," the Latina said as she bowed her head to the shorter girl's level. "I missed you and your usual morning text."

"My apologies, Santana," Rachel breathed out as if she was exhausted despite the early hour. "But the exact reason why you didn't receive my text is also the reason why my day has started off so horribly."

Santana crossed her arms over her chest and screwed up her face in feigned anger. "Well, if I don't get my morning text then I can't get my happy on. So, who's behind it? Who do I have to maim?"

Rachel shook her head dismissively and began opening her locker to deposit the books she had brought home for the previous night's homework. "You aren't allowed to maim my fathers…"

"What!" Santana squawked, not believing that the Berry men could be the reason for Rachel's moodiness. She was still under the impression that her girlfriend was having a wicked case of PMS, but she would be damned if she actually uttered the thought out loud. _Rachel is scary enough without the added hormones. I wonder what she would act like if she was pregnant…wait! Why am I thinking about that! _ "Your dads are like freakin' amazing! Just the fact that they actually spoke to you this morning before you came to school makes them like a billion times cooler than my dad. Although that's not a great feat, but still! They're amazing!"

Rachel smiled in silent sympathy and appreciation, breaking her focus from her books and turning to the taller girl. "Thanks, San, but no matter how wonderful parents might be it's still rather awkward when they're trying to discuss the trophy hickey you gave me along with other delicate subjects."

"Oh my God!" Santana gushed, reaching out to grab her upper arm. "Did you get 'the talk' this morning!"

"A version of it, yes…"

Santana just continued to laugh. "That's just insane!"

Reaching up swiftly, Rachel smacked the Latina in the shoulder to get her to be quiet. "More like humiliating and utterly mortifying!"

The memory of the hairbrush whizzing past her face suddenly came back to Santana, but she still couldn't help but smile at how enticing Rachel looked when she got angry or provoked. "You've been extra violent lately," she said as she passed a hand over her shoulder. "I kind of like it. And so what if your dads tried to get up in your B-I-Z about me gettin' up in your lady parts. At least they care, right?"

"That's easy for _you_ to say…" Rachel grumbled under her breath. "_You_ weren't there."

Santana tossed her hand up in defeat. "If it would've been my dad he probably would've tossed us a handful of dental dams from hospital and told us to have at it."

"No he wouldn't have!" Rachel hissed after narrowing her eyes in disgust.

"You never know," Santana shrugged. Then, she noticed a trio of underclassmen snickering across the hallway, while pointing in her and Rachel's direction. "Hey! What are you looking at slut face!" she shouted at the girl who appeared to be the ringleader to the other two dancing, gossiping monkeys. "I hope you're not tryin' to check out this fine piece of work known as _my_ girlfriend, because then I might just have to suffocate you with a dental dam! Got it!"

All of the girls' eyes bulged out of their sockets before they scurried away and Santana seethed and sneered with pride. Rachel heaved in a deep breath and took her girlfriend by the wrist, while giving her a scolding. "Stop it, you're practically growling. You look rabid and it's not becoming."

"It's not supposed to be becoming, it's _badass_," Santana corrected. "Besides I don't want those bitches checkin' out my woman."

"Well, since they weren't really checking me out, as you say. What would you do if someone actually did?"

Santana bared her teeth in a playful grimace and gave a little growl. "It won't happen," she whispered, before delving into Rachel's neck. Nuzzling and snorting like some type of creature and making Rachel giggle and squirm, as she was pressed against the lockers.

"Yeah, Santana! Unleashin' the wild side!" Puck called as he passed by the pair in the hallway. Santana snapped her head up from its soft, perfume scented hiding place, suddenly remembering where she was and that her actions were probably a little too cutesy for school. She countered them by flipping Puck off as he gave her a thumbs up.

"Go away, Puck!" Brittany laughed, pushing their friend as she came towards the pair to fetch Santana for cheerleading. "He's gross," she added. "But I think you two are cute."

"Great, Britt, thanks," Santana said, but while still looking at Rachel and rolling her eyes at the blonde's hopeless cluelessness. She then placed a kiss on the petite brunette's cheek. "I gotta go, okay? But don't worry about this morning, you're going to have an awesome day and then we're going to go on an awesome date and then we're going to have an awesome make out session with awesome kisses and awesome –"

"Okay, I got it," Rachel smiled, lifting her hands to Santana's shoulders and then her face. "Awesome…"

* * *

**There's a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter that leads into what will happen in the next...and that's all I'm going to say...**


	16. We Don't Always Fight For What's Right

**AN: Grr, I'm mad at FanFiction right now! I've had this done for like 5 hours and I was all excited to post it and then the site decides that it's just not going to cooperate, ugh! Oh well, it's here now and that's all that matters. So...about this chapter, I feel as if I should reiterate one more time that at NO point in this story are San and Rachel EVER breaking up! Also, I'd like for you to really pay attention to the interactions between all of the girls, not just San and Rach, but Britt and Quinn as well. There's a lot of reading between the lines to be done for this chapter and it will develop further in upcoming chapters. Double also, I'm already working on the next chapter and it contains fluff! Enjoy! :)**

**As always, I truly appreciate all of the reviews, alerts, favorites, etc. and I'm so thankful that you all have followed me this far! And to my anon reviewers - CleverlyNamed, lisa, and DEB - thank you as well!**

**Disclaimer: I'm wondering if the lawsuit hammer would really come down on me if I stopped writing that I don't own Glee in every chapter, hmm...**

* * *

Chapter 16 –We Don't Always Fight For What's Right

"Should we really be taking advantage of Becky like this though?" a younger Cheerio asked of her blonde superior. She was whispering to keep the conversation from the rest of the class and more specifically, the target of the whole operation – Rachel Berry – who sat completely unaware just a few seats ahead. "I mean, obviously she's gonna do whatever we tell her and –"

"That's the whole point!" Quinn hissed a little too loudly. The action made a head or two turn in their direction, but Quinn stayed focused on the back of Rachel's head and was delighted to find that she had not heard. "And besides, _I'm _the captain, you do as _I_ say otherwise I'll make sure that you stay on the JV squad forever! And nobody can make a good reputation that low on the rungs."

The girl seated beside the one who had spoken out of turn elbowed her friend and gave her a pointed glare. "We'll do it," she said with finality. Apparently she was slightly more desperate to conform than her counterpart.

Quinn's face transformed into a crooked, yet beautifully deceptive smile. "Perfect…just get Becky to distract Brittany and Satan after practice. Say whatever you want, just as long as you can get her to get them out of the picture for a while. And then, get your slushies and meet me outside the bathrooms closest to the auditorium…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After hours of anticipation and Santana being a tease about where they would be going after school, Rachel was brimming with excitement and just a touch of annoyance at not knowing the exact plans. But overall, she was happy to start her weekend with her girlfriend after what had turned out to be a pretty awesome day. Rehearsals had gone well and she hadn't been slushied or suffered anything else as equally humiliating. Now, all she had to do was freshen up before their date.

While smiling at her reflection in one of the bathroom mirrors, Rachel swiped on generous amounts of mango flavored lip gloss. She had found through silent observation that it seemed to be Santana's favorite flavor, judging by the added tongue action she got when she used it. And she was hoping to get just that in the near future.

As she was primping her hair, the heavy door of the bathroom began to squeak open and her first thought was that instead of meeting at the front doors, Santana had come to fetch her herself. She turned around with a luminous smile forming for her girlfriend, only to have it and her stomach fall when the figure that greeted her was none other than a stony looking Quinn. Who was also flanked by the two Cheerios that they shared Spanish class with, carrying overflowing cherry slushies.

"Quinn…" Rachel tried to say as evenly as possible, while backing into the sink without realizing. Her fingers found the edges of the smooth, white porcelain and gripped tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Ha…you totally thought I was your nasty girlfriend," Quinn chuckled, but there was no real trace of humor in her tone. She was still wearing her self-satisfied, malicious smirk when she side stepped her minions to lock the door behind them. It was a task she needed to complete herself because she didn't need any mistakes taking place. After she had finished she turned back to sauntered towards Rachel, quirking a brow and gesturing to the empty space, while saying, "So, it's just you and us…"

"Quinn," the brunette began, once again attempting to sound unaffected. "I'm not exactly sure what you have up that non-existent uniform sleeve of yours, but Santana is waiting for me as we speak and she –"

"Cut the crap! I know exactly where _she_ is and it's not waiting for you!" Quinn laughed and tossed a knowing glance back at the other girls. "Let's just say she's been detained."

Rachel took a deep breath and steeled herself against the other girl's sarcasm and ice like exterior. She didn't want to be wearing those slushies; she just wanted the time with her girlfriend that now seemed so far out of reach. "Normally, I would consider myself above begging…but please, Quinn, I just want to put this all behind us. I didn't even tell Santana what happened," she lied. "And it can stay that way if you just let me go…"

A mixture of hostile emotions flickered across the blonde's face before she hid them all behind her mask again and replaced them with a sickeningly sweet smile. "You see…" she started, while shaking her head and beginning to pace back and forth. "This is the part where I catch you in the lie you just told me, because I know you told Santana, because I don't think she would have tried to jump me in the locker room the other day if you hadn't."

"What?" Rachel asked in a soft, disbelieving voice. Santana hadn't told her anything about trying to fight with Quinn. In fact, she had told her straight to her face that she wasn't angry and that she wouldn't try to retaliate. But as Rachel thought back to the fingernails tracks that were still healing on Santana's neck and to the day they had suddenly appeared, she knew she had been lied to.

"She lied to you, didn't she?" one of the nameless girls threw in gleefully, making Rachel turn her face away so they wouldn't be able to see the tears beginning to glisten. "We tried to warn you...she's just a stupid bitch."

"No, she isn't!" Rachel snapped at the girl, surprising both them and herself with the amount of ferocity she could use to defend someone who she had just learned had lied to her.

"Enough about Santana," Quinn said nonchalantly, waving her hand in the air. "We're here to talk about you. You, who went and tattled on me, then tried to lie and threaten me about it."

"I threatened you?" the brunette questioned half heartedly, almost absently. She suddenly didn't really care if they slushied her. Actually, she hoped they would. Being covered in sticky goo would be the perfect excuse to go home instead of having to meet Santana for the date that she suddenly didn't care much about either.

She was internally reeling from the fact that Santana had lied to her. After all of the truths that had been told and how open they had been with one another, Santana had to go and start lying about the very people they had told themselves they wouldn't let tear them apart. All Rachel could think about was that maybe the Cheerios were right; maybe Santana Lopez couldn't be changed. But at the same time, the past few weeks she had spent experiencing Santana's caring and attentive ways told her otherwise.

Fingers snapping inches from her face made Rachel flinch and startled her from her own disturbing thoughts. The small action sent the tears that had been gathering in her eyes to dripping down her cheeks.

"'It can stay that way if you just let me go?'" Quinn quoted back to her, posing it as a question. "Yeah, that sounds a little like a threat to me. What do you think, _Rachel?_" she spat.

"Why are you doing this?" Rachel whispered. She truly did not understand what she or Santana had done to deserve this, but then again, she had never deserved any of the torment she suffered from the higher social circles either.

"Because I can…" Quinn then took one of the slushies from the girls' hands and stood directly in front of the smaller brunette.

The juxtaposition between Quinn's serious and intimidating front and the juvenileness of throwing a frozen drink on someone made Rachel want to laugh. The blonde acted as if they were all in a real torture scenario. That if Rachel didn't cooperate they would be shearing off her ear, in lieu of drenching her in a slush that she could simply wash away. It was all so stupid that Rachel should have been laughing. But she just couldn't, because as stupid as it may have been they still knew how to hurt her all the same.

Accepting the situation, Rachel put her head down and gazed hard at the tile floor. "But I think you have a better reason than that…"

The hostility from before came back at full force and this time Quinn wasn't willing to reign it in. She moved impossibly closer to Rachel, violently forcing their chests together in a challenging way as she talked down to her. "Do you really want to know why! Do you!" she shouted angrily, while the brunette released a sob and turned her face away as best she could. "Because this is me making sure I stay on top where I belong! Because this is high school and this is supposed to happen to people like you and Santana! You're a loser and you don't get to be happy!"

"Why!" Rachel screamed back, letting some of her own anger and fear fight back for her. "Because _you're_ not happy!"

Quinn shrieked her rage and a short struggle began that started with the slushie being dropped and ended with Rachel slipping on it, falling to the floor. Maddened by the accusation that she had been pinned with, Quinn grabbed the other slushie and with a violent twist of her wrist, sent the deep red liquid pouring over the brunette.

"How dare you! You don't get to insinuate things like that about _me!_" the blonde yelled and ranted. She kicked one of the empty cups in Rachel's direction, but it missed its mark and clattered hollowly against the wall. The practiced, measured techniques of intimidation she had been using were gone and it gave Rachel a small shred of satisfaction knowing she had struck a nerve. "_I_ have everything and _you_ are the one who has nothing!"

Trying not to completely breakdown, Rachel shook her head vehemently and managed to whimper, "Y-you can say it all you want, but that doesn't make it tr-true."

Quinn's hazel eyes were glaring as she breathed heavily and it was apparent that she had nothing logical left to say. So, she turned her attention to the now stained shoulder bag that had been sitting on the floor when she came in. "What's this?" she asked snottily, as she started rifling through Rachel's things. "A bunch of retarded Broadway songs, I'm sure! Rip all this trash up!" she directed to the girls still standing behind her, who tore into the various notebooks and folders of sheet music with wicked smiles.

Rachel knew she must've looked weak and pathetic as she brought her knees up and buried her head in her arms, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. And even if she couldn't watch as they ravaged all of her homework and prospective music selections for Regionals, at least she knew she was being strong by not allowing herself to stoop to their level. Besides, there were three of them and one of her. It was too much all at once and there was no point in fighting anyway.

She refused to look up, but was forced to when someone roughly grabbed her wrist and twisted it upwards. Quinn, the obvious offender, shoved Rachel's sleeve up her arm in search of something she had seen hanging there days ago. "Hmm, I've seen this little gem before!" she said with sarcastic cheer. Once she had gained some semblance of control again her twisted enjoyment of the situation had come back as well. She quickly started trying to unclasp the delicate sterling silver bracelet, but now Rachel had a reason to fight.

"No, Quinn! _No!"_ the brunette cried harshly, doing her best to pull her wrist away even though Quinn's grip on it made the metal links dig into her skin. Santana had had the bracelet since she was young and while it was strong enough to stay clasped around her girlfriend's wrist; it wasn't strong enough to withstand the abuse from one of her former best friends.

When it broke it skittered across the tile noiselessly into a puddle of melted slushie. With a cry of anguish and upset, Rachel lunged for the silver strand but it was Quinn who swooped down and snatched it up into her hand.

"Aha, got it!" she laughed, holding it by one end and dangling it in a teasing manner. She walked over to one of the bathroom stalls with a light step and let the door slam into the adjacent wall as she opened it. "And I know just what to do with it…"

"Quinn, don't! Please don't!" Rachel was sobbing without shame now, the tears running down her nose and over her trembling lips. If she lost that bracelet Santana would hate her for it and that wouldn't even be the part that mattered. She would let her hate her, but it wouldn't be able to give Santana back something that had been a gift from her mother, the mother she could no longer receive anything else from. "_Please, _Quinn…you have to know what that means to her…"

The blonde looked between the bracelet between her fingertips and the toilet bowl below, which she could easily drop it into and flush it away forever. But she did know what it meant to Santana, she knew what it meant even more than Rachel ever could…

_It was the summer before third grade when Santana had convinced Quinn and Brittany that joining cheerleading for a summer little league football team would be fun. Quinn ended up loving it, Brittany loved anything that her friends loved, and Santana – despite it being her grand summer scheme – hated it. _

_She hated being hot and sweaty, she hated being bossed around, she hated the stupid boys who tried to pull on the pleats of her skirt, but most of all she hated how she wasn't even a little bit good at cheering. But at her parents' insistence and her friends' begging she had stayed on the small squad. _

"_I __**hate**__ cheerleading and I'm glad it's over 'cause I'm never doing it again!" Santana spat, and then threw herself onto one of the little wooden benches on the side of the lush, green football field. _

"_I think it's fun!" Quinn gushed. While Santana was rejoicing the last game, the blonde could only consider it to be bittersweet. She had finally found something she was naturally talented at, while at the same time finding something that had her parents lavishing her with attention. "I'm gonna do it again next summer!"_

"_Me too!" Brittany agreed. She had paused just long enough in chewing the nozzle of her water bottle to say the words._

"_That's because you're both dummies…" the brunette grumbled. _

"_What did I just hear you say, Santana Alejandra?" a light female voice asked from behind them. _

_Santana whipped around and lit up when she found that her mother had arrived to pick her up. "Mami! You're here! Can we go home? I don't ever want to cheer again!"_

_A few moments later, both Mr. and Mrs. Pierce arrived at the field, along with Russell Fabray who had been watching from the bleachers. After quick goodbyes, the two blondes ran off to their parents, leaving Cristina and Santana alone._

"_C'mon, mami, let's go," Santana said as she grabbed her water bottle and backpack. "This place is dumb."_

"_Hold on there, young lady," Cristina advised, and guided her daughter back to the bench. "I want to talk to you…"_

"_Am I in trouble?" the littler Latina whined._

"_As mischievous as you are, I'm sure there is something you could be in trouble for, but no, you're not in trouble right now," Cristina told her with a laugh that Santana met with a glare. "I have something for you," she said, as she shuffled through her purse and then presented a small black box. "For being such a good sport this summer and sticking with this cheerleading thing that I know you find so awful…"_

_Santana carefully took the box and held it in her hands, looking up to her mother questioningly._

"_Go ahead, open it…"_

"_Whoa…" Santana said in a pleased tone that revealed that she very much liked the silver bracelet with the 'S' charm tucked inside the box._

_Putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders, Cristina continued speaking. "I know you didn't like cheering and that you thought you weren't very good at it, but I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you for trying. You might say otherwise, but I know you've gotten better and I know somewhere in that little stubborn head of yours you must be thinking that you had at least a little bit of fun this summer."_

"_I guess I had a __**little**__ bit of fun," Santana eventually admitted, and then attacked the older woman with a hug. "Thanks, mami."_

"_You're welcome, baby…" she whispered. She squeezed her eyes closed as she playfully squeezed her daughter, but when she opened them she could see Quinn's empty eyes staring directly at her from another bench. A few yards away, Russell was speaking to the coach in an exuberant and overly cordial tone. The wrath of Sue Sylvester had yet to arrive in Lima, so parents were still up for that type of interaction. _

"_You know, this field could use some sprucing up here and there. I was wondering if maybe a donation would help little Quinnie in getting the position of head cheerleader next year…"_

"_Oh, well…Quinn is a good cheerer, but they're just kids. We don't really get into those technicalities until they get older."_

"_Never too early to start though! You should consider it, either way, the check will be in the mail…"_

_The next year Santana signed up for cheerleading again and the kids were introduced to the title of head cheerleader in the form of Quinn Fabray. Santana never took off her bracelet and Quinn used it as a silent reminder that sometimes doing something you loved didn't always give you everything you wanted, but that doing something you hated could sometimes give you everything you thought you needed. _

Quinn had found her own Achilles heel and along with it she had found that she didn't have the purely spiteful strength to destroy her childhood friend's memories. With a final huff of disgust, she pitched the broken bracelet back at Rachel before calling off the other girls and storming out of the bathroom.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"What's taking her so long?" Santana asked herself more than the tall blonde fidgeting beside her, while checking her cell phone for the time. "We ran late and we still beat her here."

"Yeah…" Brittany droned, as if she was occupied by thinking hard about something. "I still can't understand why Coach thought we were having sex in the showers though. Doesn't she know you're dating Rachel?"

Santana chuckled and shoved her phone into her jeans pocket, before sitting down against the wall beside the school's front doors. "Um, doubt it and obviously some bitches on the squad just made up a rumor to get us in trouble. Luckily, Coach was just in a bad mood today and not a totally murderous one like usual."

Brittany giggled her agreement and sat down as well. "So, where are you taking Rachel for this date?"

"To walk on the beach and maybe watch the sunset…"

"The beach! But that's like two hours away and it's freezing outside! Will you even be able to survive a car ride that long with her?"

The Latina shook her head at her friend's antics and couldn't help but check her phone again. This time for the time and possibly a text from Rachel letting her know where she was. "If I did it with you and a bus full of Cheerios to go to Cedar Point I think I can do it with my girlfriend and who knows, maybe she'll fall asleep. I just couldn't think of anything else to do. I want to get away from Lima for a while, even if it is cold. I'll just get her cold and then take her back to the car and warm her up." She followed the comment by waggling her eyebrows up and down teasingly.

"Aw, yeah!" Brittany said while pumping her fist in the air. "I bet Rachel is really good in bed. I mean, her mouth moves really fast when she's talking so it must move really fast when she's doing other stuff too, right?"

"I wouldn't know…" Santana answered honestly.

The blonde's mouth fell open and her blue eyes showed more confusion than was typically normal. "You guys haven't had sex yet?" Santana shook her head no, and before she could explain further, Brittany was rapidly asking, "But I thought you liked having sex with girls!"

"I do…" Santana said, and then corrected herself. "Or I did…you're the only girl I've ever had sex with. You know that."

Brittany was smiling and nodding with starry eyes; she and her best friend had shared some pretty hot times together during their experimental phase. "Oh, right. But I thought you were a lesbian?"

"Britt, I am!" Santana laughed, not believing that the blonde couldn't get the gist of what she was saying. "But that doesn't mean that I've slept with every girl I've come in contact with."

"You wish!"

"No, actually…I really only want Rachel. But she's a virgin, so we're waiting and I'm okay with that. It needs to be special, for her and for both of us, you know?"

"What's a virgin?" Brittany deadpanned.

"Oh my God," Santana laughed again. "Go ask the twins, they'll tell you." Opening her cell phone, she clicked the correct buttons to bring up a new message to send to Rachel.

**Im at the frnt doors. Take ur time w/ whatever ur doing, but just know that Im missin' u bb grl! ;) ~ SaNtAnA**

Brittany narrowed her eyes and began nodding her head. "I will ask the twins, they're so much smarter than me." She shrugged at this fact and then asked, "Who's watching them tonight anyway?"

The Latina wasn't really paying her friend any attention now, she was impatiently awaiting a reply from her girlfriend. "Eh, some middle school chick from down the street. She's pretty tough, so I thought she could handle them, but we'll see."

"You should have let me do it…"

"We tried that already. It didn't work out that great, remember?"

Tossing her hands in the air, Brittany cried, "It wasn't my fault that I didn't know that when you prank call and order fifty pizzas you're supposed to send them to someone else's house and not the one you're calling from!"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't my fault that I had to charge five hundred dollars worth of pizza to my dad's credit card but I still got in trouble for it, didn't I?" Santana snapped back with a lilt of her head.

"Whatever, it was good pizza," Brittany mumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes. Then she added more enthusiastically, "But really, San, that's like a super romantical date. She should definitely let you touch her boobs afterwards."

"I'll give her the memo, but damn, if she doesn't hurry her cute ass up we're not going to make it in time for sunset…"

Suddenly, her phone lit up and her stomach jolted with excitement like it always did when Rachel's ID flashed across the screen. She opened the text, but immediately knew that something was off.

**i ned u ~ BrightStar**

There was no capitalization, no punctuation, there was a spelling mistake, a shortcut and considering all of that and the context it was completely un-Rachel. In an instant, Santana was up and tugging Brittany into a sprint down the empty hallway, their footfalls echoing loudly. There was no time to explain after receiving a message like that.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

In the moment between realizing that the bathroom was saturated with slushie and not an unfathomable bloody massacre, Santana had never felt so sick in her life. Then, she was on the floor, not remembering how she got there but knowing that Rachel was safe even if she was trembling against her chest.

"What happened?" Santana asked against the smaller brunette's damp hair. She kept her voice soft and soothing but as her gaze met Brittany's equally hard eyes her anger was nearing eruption. Neither one of the cheerleaders needed to hear an explanation to know who was responsible. "Tell me, Rach…"

"Quinn, she…" Rachel stopped and pushed her forehead into Santana's sternum, almost to the point of pain. She didn't know how to tell Santana what had been revealed. She had even contemplated leaving the school without seeing her girlfriend, that way she wouldn't have to address the lie – albeit a small one – that she couldn't get out of her head. "She came in and she just s-started saying all these things and she…and she broke your bracelet. And I'm so sorry!"

"I don't care about some bracelet, it can be fixed. I just want to know you're alright," Santana said, then kissed the top of her head. Rachel stayed quiet and seemed to tense in her embrace, something that was definitely not usual. Santana tried to pull away to look into her eyes, but Rachel clung close while still remaining silent. "Rachel, talk to me, tell me you're alright."

"Why did you lie to me?"

Santana met Brittany's eyes again and the two could tell that Rachel had either found out or figured out about the small scuffle in the locker room. Then, the brunette gave her best friend a look that begged for advice, but Brittany could only avert her gaze.

"I…I don't know why I did it." And she didn't know why she was guiding Rachel into Brittany's arms and getting up off the floor either.

"Santana, where are you going?" the blonde questioned quickly, knowing what Santana had in mind. "Don't go after her!"

Rachel's head shot up as she realized just what Brittany was referring to. "Santana, don't, I don't want you to fight!" She kept yelling after Santana, but she only kept walking away in return. "Santana! I'm not mad! Just stay with me, please!"

Somewhere outside of the dull roar buzzing in her head, Santana could hear Rachel begging her to stop and Brittany trying to comfort her in return. She knew it was supposed to be her comforting Rachel; she was _her_ girlfriend after all. But she could feel the patience, happiness, and good nature that Rachel had been gradually coaxing out of her being pushed aside, making way for the anger and bitterness that she would never truly be able to shake. And Quinn just happened to be the final straw in a long line of provoking events.

As Santana swung the bathroom door open and stalked down the hallway like some ingrained sense was leading her to her former friend, she felt from her perspective that she was entirely too calm to fight. She knew she was going to fight Quinn, but she just didn't know if she even remembered how to cause pain. It was quick learning to cuddle and kiss a new girlfriend and while knowing how to fight wasn't something easily forgotten, she just didn't know if it was easy to forget a friendship when it came down to it. The reasons to fight were there, but she didn't know if the will was.

She found Quinn faster than she had anticipated and when she rounded a corner and was greeted by that insidious smirk the customary fighting words started to flow of their own volition.

"Waiting for me to rework your face, I see!" Santana snarled, all of her sassiness and brutishness coming back for what it was wrongly meant for. With her small clique backing her, Quinn was rash enough to laugh. She laughed when all Santana wanted to do was be there for her girlfriend and it was times like that when she wished she had more self control over all of her screwed up emotions.

"I knew that little troll wouldn't be able to keep her sniveling to herself for long," the blonde said emotionlessly, while already lowering her chin and taking on a defensive stance. "And we'll see who gets reworked…I have a feeling _Rachy_ has you going soft."

At the mocking mentions of Rachel, Santana remembered exactly why she was in her current position and she wasted no more time with petty words. Within a few blurred seconds she had a fistful of silky ponytail and Quinn's right hand was somewhere close to tearing her ear off, while their free hands were pushing against each other and struggling for dominance. _We're too pretty for this, _Santana thought in a less tumultuous area of her mind, _we're better than this too. _

The girls who were teammates to both of them cheered Quinn and egged her on, while Santana fueled herself with stores of aggression and rage. Before long they were on the waxed tile floor on their sides, kicking and pulling until finally Santana won out for the top spot. She straddled her opponent's hips and without trying, a victorious sneer tugged her lips back. Though, while she was distracted by the good fortune of already getting one of Quinn's arms pinned over her head, she forgot about the other one and it resulted in first blood.

Santana felt as if she could barely breathe, which she really couldn't after her nose had caught the full force of a sharp elbow. Her natural reaction was to cup the lower half of her bleeding face in her hand, so she made a savage snap judgment and set her forearm across the blonde's throat. The literally strangled noises that came from Quinn as she tried to remember how to think straight made her feel like a monster, but she had to keep her subdued for just a little while longer. Just until her brain could function beyond the searing pain. Santana had suffered enough bloody noses to know what one felt like, but none had ever hurt so intensely before. Maybe because this one hadn't been an accident, it hadn't come from a stray foot during a lift in a cheerleading routine, it had been intentional.

Before allowing Quinn to breathe again, Santana clawed her way to her wrists and wove their fingers together, assuring that she had control. She clutched Quinn's hand so tightly that she could feel both of their pulses rapidly coursing together. It was almost like an affectionate embrace, it was almost like a childhood memory that Santana remembered all too well.

"_Ugh!_" Quinn raged up at the brunette after being able to take a full breath. Her voice was so gravely and demonic and purely enraged that while feeling a shiver of fear for causing the change in her voice, Santana had to wonder if her head was going to spin around too. "You fucking sick whore! You're bleeding all over me!"

And it was true, the blood rolling over the Latina's lips and down her chin had already been tracked along both of their arms and down onto the blonde's face. "Do you kiss Jesus with that mouth, Sister Christian?" Santana panted close to Quinn's ear, as she dug her fingernails into the flesh trapped in her hand and reveled in the squirming body below her.

"Surprised you know who he is, Satan!" Quinn spat back, trying to lurch forward to knock the other girl off balance. The seriousness of trying to choke the life out of someone was gone and the dynamic of two teenage girls fighting and spewing random insults over something ridiculous had come back.

"I'm going to end this now," Santana said lowly.

Quinn hissed a laugh and once again she wore that infuriating smirk. "Are you? Are you going to hit me?"

Raising herself up to sit as tall as she could while still pinning Quinn's wrists, Santana nodded evenly. But on the inside she was contemplating her next attack. She had just said that she was going to end their ever competitive rivalry but she didn't know how to do it. Was she supposed to slap Quinn? Punch her? Elbow her in the nose so they sported matching injuries? She didn't know, but she did know that deep down she didn't want to do anything. _Why can you hurt me, but I can't hurt you?_

Eventually, Santana decided a backhand across the cheek was good enough to start off. But as soon as Quinn had recovered and snapped her head back into place, she was taunting again. "You've slapped me before and I still came back for more, didn't I! Now, come on! Hit me, Santana!"

The stare down between Santana's nearly colorless eyes and Quinn's glittering hazel ones was broken by another slap. This one open handed and heavy against the blonde's face, making the Latina grunt from the force and exertion. Then, because Santana didn't have it in her to graduate to full blown punches, there was another slap and then another until tears starting leaking from the corners of Quinn's eyes. It didn't matter if they were from actual emotion or just a physical reaction; they still made Santana feel guilt stab her in the chest, especially when a voice shakily whispered up to her, "San, please…enough…let me go."

The nickname and the pleaded request caught the brunette off guard and unbeknownst to her, it was the exact purpose of the sneaky counter attack. "Please, San…" she said once more, and like Santana had been hypnotized by her conscience and her hope for good intentions, she let go.

"_Ha! _Told you, you were going soft!" Quinn violently interjected, after knocking her to the side and tangling their legs together to get her into a submissive position. Santana didn't have enough time to come to her own defense and Quinn set to wailing her knuckles into her eyes, nose, and whatever else she could hit.

With her back flat on the floor and the wet smacks between fist and face sounding in her ears, Santana was painfully aware of the fact that she had lost. She had been betrayed by Quinn yet again for reasons she couldn't even place and she was thoroughly exhausted. She had lied to Rachel, done all of it in vain and now she was paying for it

Only after one of their teammates who was still loyal to the captain kicked Santana in the side of the head and she yipped in pain, did Puck and Finn followed by half the basketball team come running from the gymnasium.

"Holy shit!" Puck exclaimed in sheer surprise, before prying the two girls apart and pulling a shaken Santana against his body for protection. "Jesus Christ, Finn, keep that psycho bitch off my lesbro!" he yelled to his friend, who was still trying to restrain Quinn. Even through a swelling eye and Puck's basketball jersey, Santana didn't miss the way that the blonde's face fell at his words.

Finn dragged Quinn back a bit further, making sure her feet were out of kicking distance as well. "Hey, I don't know what her problem is, man!"

Even though Santana was to the point of crying, she wasn't ready to give up every last scrap of dignity. And she tried to imagine that the moisture trialing down her face was just blood as she pushed herself away from Puck. "Get off of me! Get off!" Ignoring her wooziness, she stood up despite Puck's protests and leaned heavily against the lockers, head down and panting.

_"What in the name of Madonna is going on here!"_

They all knew that distinct, domineering voice very well and soon the bystanders from the cheerleading squad and the basketball team were beginning to disappear into the background, preparing to run for cover. Finn and Puck went quiet, Quinn was suddenly whimpering tearfully, and Santana just closed her eyes as Coach Sue Sylvester stood rigid in the middle of the hallway, hands planted at the waist of her red tracksuit.

"She attacked me! She's insane, Coach!" Quinn piped up with. Her eyes were wet and fearful like she hadn't just been doling out sucker punches like it was her job. Santana chanced an incredulous glance at her, she wasn't sure why Quinn though their coach would be sympathetic to tears when she never had been before. "She's jealous of me and she just tried to hurt me so that I wouldn't be able to stay captain!"

Coach Sylvester looked to the Latina in that creepy way where only her head swiveled on her neck and no other muscles even flinched out of place. "Is this true?" she asked in an eerily calm tone.

Santana knew there was no point in even speaking, she had lost and Quinn had gotten exactly what she wanted. But she did suppose that there would be some level of respect between her and her coach if she at least attempted to answer. "I…I…she tried to…"

"Going against your captain is an unthinkable act!" Coach Sylvester screamed, making the veins and tendons stick out of her neck as she pointed her finger accusingly at her fallen Cheerio. "You have tainted that uniform with the blood of mutiny and treason. And for that, I'm going to have to ask you to remove that battered beacon of hope and never let me catch you disgracing the colors of red, white, and black again!"

"What!" Santana squawked back in confusion, pretty sure that she was being kicked off the squad but not understanding all of her coach's usual left field metaphors.

"Duh!" Coach Sylvester cried out while throwing her hands in the air. "You're off the squad!"

Santana almost felt a sense of relief, she had already been expecting it if she was honest. She nodded in her last duty to the older woman and accepted her fate.

"I want that uniform on my desk Monday morning," Coach Sylvester demanded, before turning to Quinn. "And you, get yourself cleaned up. You're a terrible excuse for a head cheerleader!"

With that, she spun around on her squeaking tennis shoes and stomped back down the hall with Quinn on her heels, brushing past the pair of individuals who had been standing behind her – a wide eyed Brittany and a still weepy Rachel.

At the sight of her upset girlfriend, Santana felt an immeasurable amount of emotions shoot through her. She tried not to think about them, instead indecently sucking blood and mucus in through her nose so she could spit it on the ground. But when that didn't serve as a good distraction against the emotions and Rachel's sad eyes, she was giving the nearest locker the punch that she couldn't give Quinn, then collapsing to the ground again in the worst pain she had ever felt in her life.

"Oh, _fuck!_" she choked out, while cradling her left hand to her chest, biting her lip, and squeezing her eyes shut in agony.

Puck was the first to respond as he was the closest and then it was Brittany who kneeled down beside her and pet her shoulder. Rachel hung back, feeling all of the shock and emotions that her girlfriend was experiencing but in a slightly different way.

"Shit, San…" Puck said as he made a semi disgusted face and eyed Santana's crooked and rapidly swelling finger. "That's not good…"

"No fucking kidding!" Santana grunted in a tight voice. "God, I'm so fucking stupid!"

"I think you need to go to the hospital, San," Brittany said quietly, while also studying the now bluish digit that looked sort of zombie-ish to her.

"No, I'm good…"

"Enough, hard ass, you're going to the hospital," Puck announced with finality and then put an arm around the Latina to help her up. Brittany supported her on her other side and looked to Rachel, asking, "Are you coming?"

Santana's eyes met with the smaller brunette's and she hoped that she was silently conveying just how much she needed her. _"Please, Rachel…" _she mouthed to her.

"You wouldn't stay for me…" Rachel said slowly, like the words she was saying were causing her just as much pain as they were going to cause. "And I…I just can't go with you right now…" She let out a quivering breath and then ran her hands over her face, disposing of fresh tears before she turned around to walk away, leaving a distraught and incompliant Santana to be escorted to the parking lot by Puck and Brittany.

* * *

**This is probably the first and worst cliff-hanger I've left you with, so I'll try to get the next chapter out as quickly as possible! Thanks for reading!**


	17. Reset

**AN: Okay! Everyone take a deep breath and get ready to come back from all the angst in the last chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and alerts! Just judging by a few (ALL!) of the reviews I feel like you guys really hate Quinn, hmm! Well she's only just mentioned in this chapter and won't be making an appearance in the next one either, which is pretty much going to be super fluff...you'll find out why! Also, FanFiction is being really dumb and it wouldn't let me reply to reviews from the past two chapters, so sorry for that, it makes me feel out of the loop or something. Anyway, enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter 17 – Reset

"You're being a real girl right now, Lopez," Puck announced in the most endearing and tough love sort of way. He had never seen his longtime friend act like she was – weeping, whining, and just generally being un-badass – and it was honestly a little worrying. "And you better start walking because I'm not above throwing you over my shoulder."

He was waiting for a snotty retort from the brunette who was slowly shuffling and sobbing towards the ER entrance, but it was Brittany who answered for her. "Puck, don't be mean, she's not faking. Didn't you see her finger? It's all creepy now."

The older woman at the reception desk did a double take as the three teenagers walked in, one of them thoroughly smeared with blood. Then, she was rushing from behind the desk and approaching them, frantically asking, "Oh my God, is she okay! What are her injuries?" In Lima, Ohio, it wasn't everyday that a girl covered in gore came into the ER.

"We need to see her dad!" Brittany rapidly explained, after they had sat Santana in a chair in the waiting room while patients with less serious cases looked on in curiosity and awe. "He lives here, I think! He's a doctor and not a tooth doctor – a real one!"

The woman just stared in confusion and Puck clarified with, "Her dad is Dr. Andres Lopez. Can you get him for us?"

"Oh! Of course! I'll page him right away," she said after realization had set in. Then, she was back at her desk dialing numbers into a phone and speaking to whomever was on the other end of the line. "Send Dr. Lopez down right away…tell him it's urgent, his daughter is here…"

When Andres came literally sprinting through the double doors from the elevators with his white coat trailing behind him, no one noticed the way he stopped dead in his tracks for a moment because they were too concerned with his daughter. And he was perfectly alright with that, because even if he could tell that Santana was in rough shape he was ecstatic and relieved to see people fussing around her instead of seeing her on a stretcher or worse.

"Give me some room, people," Andres said authoritatively, as he pushed past the receptionist and kneeled down in front of Santana. Carefully, he tried to take her hands in his but she flinched away in obvious pain. "Alright, tell me what happened?"

Santana shook her head 'no' and shut her eyes tightly. It wasn't that she didn't want to explain, it was just that she couldn't process the pain and her chaotic thoughts. "You have to tell me what's wrong so I can help you, mija," Andres said in a soft, almost pleading tone. Once again, Santana shook her head and hiccupped and choked as she tried to breathe, her chest heaving against her stained uniform.

Standing back up, Andres touched his daughter's cheek and then did something he hadn't done for any of his daughters in years. He picked her up, one arm beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and lay her head against him. "It's alright, San, I've got you," he whispered to her as he began making his way back to the exam rooms, leaving Puck and Brittany to follow. "Just like when you were little. You remember that, don't you, babe?"

This time, Santana nodded in agreement and before long all of her overwhelming feelings were spilling out into words. "She hates me, papi…she's gonna break up with me, I know it!" she cried into his neck, where she could smell the familiar and comforting scent of his cologne.

"Shh, shh, let's just get you checked out first," Andres told her after kicking open the door to one of the rooms and placing her on the bed. He found a box of tissues in a cupboard and set it beside her legs, before snapping on a pair of blue surgical gloves and plucking out a tissue. He wrapped it around his index and middle finger, and then set to gently drying Santana's still falling tears and dabbing away the blood that was still fresh. "San?" he prompted as he worked. "I need to know what happened."

"I – I…" Santana tried to begin explaining what happened, but she just didn't know where to begin and her voice was still shaky and weak.

"Okay, shh…" he murmured again. "Would it be better if Brittany or Noah explained it to me?"

The Latina nodded her silent agreement once more and then let her head settle back against the stiff hospital pillow, her eyes rolling shut. Her head was swimming from that final kick she had suffered and her finger felt as if it was being perpetually slammed in a locker door, instead of just having been slammed into one. As for everything surrounding Rachel, that was just too much.

Brittany – ever the sweetheart and caring best friend – launched into a jumbled yet unfortunately accurate account of what had not only taken place that afternoon, but throughout the entire week. "Quinn was being a bitch and she said something mean to Rachel, so then Santana tried to beat up Quinn but I stopped her. Then, Quinn got mad because Rachel told San, so she locked her in a bathroom and ripped up all of her songs and broke San's bracelet. That made San really _really_ mad and she tried to beat up Quinn, but it didn't work and Quinn just beat her up instead. Rachel didn't want San to fight but she did anyway and then Coach saw what happened and kicked San off the Cheerios and then San punched a locker and now we're here!"

Santana practically started howling after hearing the whole ordeal put into words, Puck would have laughed at all the chick drama if it hadn't turned out to be so serious, and Andres just breathed out, "Well, um…whoa…okay. So, it was a locker that caused all this trouble, huh?" He was trying to lighten the mood as much as possible now, because what he had to do next was not going to be well received. Even if he wasn't always that great of a father, he was an excellent doctor.

"_Ow!" _Santana practically shrieked when her father just barely touched her damaged ring finger. It wasn't as much of a shriek of pain as it was one of being suddenly pissed off; that fiery temper was never too far out of reach. "Why would you do that! That hurt!" she yelled, surprising everyone after having been fairly quiet for so long.

"That's because it's dislocated," Andres informed, not bothering to sugar coat the truth. Growing up a doctor's daughter meant that Santana knew what the treatment was for the simple yet horribly painful injury and she groaned pitifully before throwing her head back again. "I'm going to fetch a few things and then I'll come back and reset it."

"Hey, Doc?" Puck spoke up just as Andres was nearly out the door. "Some chick kicked her right in the melon too. Just thought you should know. That could be like important or something, you know?"

Andres smiled at the obviously concerned young man and nodded in appreciation. "I'll keep that in mind. Sounds like I might have a future doctor on my hands."

Puck smirked and after the door closed, he snickered, "Yeah, maybe a gynecologist!"

Brittany grimaced as she stood beside her best friend even though she had no idea what that big, long word meant. While Santana – who was rapidly regaining some of her spunk – snapped, "You're just that nasty, aren't you?"

"I just thought it was fitting since you're being such a pussy!" Puck shot back and looked at her pointedly, although he was not being serious at all. If anything it was a show of how much he cared about her and just wanted to make her feel better.

"Go fuck yourself," the Latina demanded, just as her father walked through the door

"Well, even though it sounds like the last thing we need in here is another teenager, I happened to find someone while I was out…" Once Andres had finished speaking, he moved further into the room and revealed a small, timidly approaching figure behind him.

Suddenly, Santana was in tears again and Rachel was saying in a strained voice, "I'm sorry I wouldn't come with you…" She was still wearing her slushied outfit, but she had cleaned her face up and gathered her hair into a low ponytail.

It took a moment for Santana to swallow the knot in her throat, but eventually she whispered, "I'm sorry I punched a locker and ruined our date," her voice cracked, but she didn't care who was watch watching and finished with, "and lied to you."

Rachel's mouth dropped open, preparing to repeat again just how sorry she was for ever telling about Quinn's first small indiscretion and causing the whole mess, but Andres cut her off.

"Rachel?"

"Yes, Doctor?" the petite brunette answered, her official tone making the corner of Santana's mouth quirk just the slightest bit.

As he picked up the syringe of local anesthetic from a blue paper draped tray, he cleverly disguised a way to bring the two brunettes back together by suggesting, "Why don't you come hold the patient's other hand? I have a feeling she would like that, as she's not going to like what I have to do."

Santana's eyes swiftly flitted to Rachel's face, trying to judge her reaction. Her trust in Rachel wasn't completely shattered, but she knew that she had betrayed hers and was fully prepared for the suggestion to be refused. But, surprising her like she had done in countless other ways throughout their relatively short relationship, Rachel smiled lightly and nodded before stepping up to the edge of the bed.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Santana said softly, not able to meet the other girl's eyes.

Ignoring that comment all together, Rachel took her hand and laced all of their fingers between each other. "I guess we will just have to count this as our date. I mean, at least I still get to hold your hand, right?" A single tear rolled over Santana's cheekbone and Rachel tenderly brushed it away with her thumb. "It's going to be okay, Santana."

After the injection which hurt considerably enough on its own, Rachel began to feel Santana's hand quivering within her own. "Just look at me," she told her, tearing her gaze from where her father was working with her other hand.

"Okay, San, you shouldn't feel pain but the pressure might be slightly uncomfortable," Andres explained, making Santana want to ask what the damn difference was between being in pain and being uncomfortable. She would have described herself as being in both conditions at that moment. "Now, I want you to take a deep breath for me, then slowly let it out…one…two…thr –"

_"Mother fuuugh!"_ The half expletive turned grunt happened almost instantaneously with the audible snap of Santana's finger popping back into place and everyone in the room winced from the noise and the girl's reaction. "Slightly uncomfortable!" Santana echoed through clenched teeth, as tears leaked from her tightly shut eyes. She kicked her foot against the surface of the bed a few times, still groaning exclamations of evident discomfort.

Rachel could tell that her girlfriend wasn't overreacting in the slightest and the thought that she almost made her go through it alone increased her guilt even more. She was there now though and she was going to soothe Santana as much as possible. By placing a hand on Santana's cheek she turned her face and guided their foreheads together so she could speak softly to her. "It's alright, baby. Everything is going to be alright now, okay?" she said. "I'm right here with you, right beside you."

Santana nodded and gripped Rachel's hand, but it wasn't long before her breaths were coming in sharp gasps against Rachel's lips and the strain of the day was coming back full force.

"We're going to give you two a few moments alone," Andres announced, while ushering Puck and Brittany to the door. "If you can, keep her hand elevated, Rachel." It was a small favor for him to ask but Rachel recognized it as him putting his trust in her and despite his own reputation with being untrustworthy, she still appreciated it greatly.

Once the door had shut with a muffled click, Rachel turned her attention back to Santana who was still visibly distressed. Although she was beginning to have a suspicion that it had nothing to do with just having her finger reset. Slowly, so as not to alarm her, Rachel smoothed back some stray strands of hair that Quinn no doubt pulled from her ponytail.

"How are you feeling now?"

Santana shook her head to show that she couldn't answer and then untangled her hand from Rachel's to place it over her eyes, not wanting the other girl to see her break down. For Rachel, it hurt to see the gesture. They had come so far in trusting one another and just when they had gotten to the point of being completely open, Quinn had to come along and ravage it just because she felt like it.

"Santana, talk to me…" Rachel pleaded, and then pressed their foreheads together again.

"Please don't break up with me…_please,_" Santana whispered in a broken voice. "I'll do anything –"

"Don't," Rachel said quietly, feeling something like anger welling up inside her. Not anger at Santana, but anger at Quinn for being able to take away her girlfriend's happiness and security so easily. "We're not breaking up, but you can't keep doing this." She pulled back to look into misty brown eyes and smiled lightly. "It was really cute when you wrote in that card and said that you would beat up bullies and things like that, but I didn't think it would lead to anything serious."

Santana looked away, studying the biohazard box on the wall and other medical paraphernalia. "I just hate seeing you hurt and I just have to make her stop…"

"But don't you understand? I don't want to see you get hurt either! Do you think it's fun for me to see you in pain like you were a few minutes ago or to see your face covered in blood! Because it's not!" Rachel said, her voice gaining more strength as she went until it eventually cracked from the pressure. "It's scary…it hurts to see you like that."

"I just thought you would want me to, I thought that's what I was supposed to do…"

"Look at me," Rachel directed, taking her girlfriend's face in her hands but minding the swelling bruises smattering her skin with foreign colors. "I know you're protective and I know that you like to take care of the people you love, but I'm supposed to take care of you too. I'm supposed to make sure you don't get hurt and that you're protected too. And I'm going to do that, even if it means I have to protect you from yourself."

Santana was in shock but she was trying not to show it. That one small, four-letter word Rachel had seemingly accidentally thrown into her sentence had made her heart start to thump almost too hard. _How does she know?_ she thought to herself. Not wanting to make things awkward, she decided it would be better to change the subject before Rachel realized what she had said.

"I didn't mean to do it," the Latina blurted out, making Rachel look at her with a bit of confusion at first. She had totally disregarded everything that had been said. "I wanted to stay in that bathroom with you, but I just got so mad. She just makes me so _mad_."

"Well, I would have liked for you to stay with me but I also can't deny the fact that Brittany gives great hugs," Rachel teased. "She said something about having a lot of practice because she holds up a free hugs sign along the highway on Sundays?"

Santana just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Damnit, I told her she needs to stop doing that. She's going to get kidnapped," she said in a way that made it sound like dry humor. But since they both knew Brittany pretty well it was apparent that it was in all seriousness. Then she went on to say in an exhausted tone, "What has my life become? One of my best friends is taking care of my girlfriend for me while my ex-best friend beats the crap out of me."

"Sometimes people just change, San," Rachel told her sympathetically. She was petting her hair again along with finishing the job her father had started cleaning the leftover blood from her face.

"It's just that we grew up together, you know?" Santana shrugged, now staring at the ceiling while the other girl dabbed at her abused skin. "But after my mom died there was no one to stop us from going too far. We pushed and pushed and pushed each other until finally we came to this. Now, there's no going back…I just can't care about her anymore."

Rachel could tell that Santana was speaking from specific events and memories of the past and she didn't question it, she just added what she thought she could. "But I think you do care about her, I think that's exactly why you two keep fighting. Your lives are changing and you two are both stubborn and horrible at communicating with each other on top of a myriad of other negative influences. I think you both still care for each other, you just don't know how to show it."

Santana couldn't help but smile even though she felt like crying some more and once again, she thought back to what Isabel had told her – Rachel could make her smile even when she didn't want to. She really did love the girl sitting beside her and although it wasn't the right time to tell her that, she knew that the time would eventually come where she would. "I like your big vocabulary words, they make me feel better," Santana whispered. "And your ability to be so understanding and not just talk about punching Quinn's face in right now amazes me."

Rachel stuck her nose in the air in her best impression of her girlfriend and simply said, "What can I say? I'm amazing." She got just the reaction she was looking for when Santana laughed.

"You are," the taller brunette said, as she reached up to touch Rachel's cheek. "I'm sincerely sorry that I lied to you, Rach and I promise it won't _ever_ happen again. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," Rachel said through a watery smile, before leaning down to tenderly kiss Santana's swollen lips. "But only if you can forgive me for leaving you in the hallway," she said after pulling away.

"Forgiven," Santana said swiftly, not needing any time to think about her choice. "Now lemme get some sugar."

"Is there ever a time when you don't want to get your mack on, or get some sugar, or want someone kissin' on you? Because really I don't want to hurt you, you're lips are about double their normal size right now and while I didn't think they could get any bigger…they are. They're like, whoa…"

Santana puckered her lips and looked absolutely ridiculous while saying, "Yeah, girl! You like dat?" They were both caught up in a fit of soft kisses and giggles when Puck's voice brought them back to reality.

"She cries the whole way here and she still gets her mack on with the ladies! How does she do it!"

After Puck, Brittany bounded in and went straight for Santana and threw herself into a hug. "San! I talked to a lady out there and she said not to worry because you're not gonna die! Isn't that great!"

"Um, yeah…" Santana answered amidst a flurry of blonde hair.

"Yeah," Puck echoed and then said nonchalantly, "You're not gonna die but your dad did say he was coming back with a saw to take care of that gimp finger…ah, just kidding…he said he'd be in to wrap it up in a few."

Half an hour later, Santana practically had a club for a hand and Andres was pulling out a pen and his prescription slips. "Okay, kiddies," he called to get all of the teenagers' attention. "For tonight, I'm writing you all a few different prescriptions. The first one is for you, Noah – you're required to take all these girls home and look after them. It also requires you to give the twins as many piggyback rides as they want. Oh, and don't flirt with them too much, okay?"

He ripped the slip off and handed it to Puck, prompting him to ask with a grin, "How about one that lets me get into that mini-bar in your basement?"

"No…" Andres deadpanned, before moving on. "The second one is yours, Britt. All you have to do is play with the twins, not touch anything expensive and definitely don't do _anything_ that involves fire." Then he got out his wallet and handed Brittany a few crisp twenty dollar bills, making her face light up with mischief. "Also, you're in charge of ordering pizza since I know you're so good at it. Just please order a little less than fifty this time."

"Woo!" Brittany crowed and waved her new money in the air. "We're gettin' pizzas!"

"Alright, Rachel, now yours is very important. You have to make sure that San keeps that finger iced and elevated so it starts to heal properly. A few kisses here and there probably wouldn't hurt either, but keep it PG," he said with a laugh.

"Papi!" Santana scolded in slight embarrassment.

He just winked at her and smiled. "Now, here's the important part, since you're the most level headed of all these trouble makers you have to make sure nothing too outlandish happens, okay?"

"Yes, Doctor!" Rachel said with pride, she was always happy to be recognized for the true leader and humanitarian that she was.

"And lastly, is Santana," he said while turning to his daughter. "You aren't required to do a damn thing except sit on the couch, eat pizza, watch movies, and let everyone else cater to you. And you can also take a prescription dose of ibuprofen if that finger starts hurting too much. Think you can do that?"

Santana nodded and smiled appreciatively, then sat up and hugged her father tightly. "Thanks, papi," she whispered into his neck. "Sorry if I worried you."

"Not at all," Andres said as he rubbed her back. Although she had worried him, she had worried him immensely. Actually it was safe to say that, that morning he had never imagined that the events of the afternoon would end up bringing him the biggest reality check and wakeup call of his life. He squeezed Santana just a little tighter and buried his face in the loose hair of her now messy ponytail, before releasing a deep sigh. "I'm going to come home after my shift. I'll be there to check on you."

"You don't have to do that…"

"Shh, I'm going to be there, Santana."

Something about the way he spoke made Santana believe it and she smiled again before releasing his shoulders. If he would act like that even half of the time then things would be so much better for them.

"Okay," Andres announced, while hoping that none of the other teens had noticed the way his eyes glassed over as he held his daughter. "All of you out of my hospital…"

Rachel helped Santana off the bed and looped their arms together as they began walking out. Puck brought up the rear and patted the Latina's shoulder, while whispering in her ear, "Your club hand looks pretty badass!"

Brittany skipped and danced out of the ER while probably making other patients wonder if she had escaped the psychiatric ward, shouting, "Let the super duper Lebanese pizza party date night begin!"

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**Ta dah! Everyone is happy again, at least for now and the next chapter will be all about their upcoming sleepover. I know a lot of you are missing the twins and I miss writing them, so there will be plenty of scenes with them! Thanks for reading!**


	18. Date Night

**AN: Super long chapter is super long and bad author is bad! So sorry for taking such a long time between updates, I guess I just lost track of time because it seemed like I had just recently updated. It's probably because I can hardly think straight (see what I did there!) due to the season finale being tonight! Yep, that's right, I'm a HUGE Brittana fan, but who isn't? I've been trying to think up some epic Brittana storyline to maybe start writing one day, but I've found that it's hard to think of ideas for a couple who is actually starting to happen on the show, lol! But maybe someday, who knows! For now, it's all Pezberry! I think the title of the chapter gives you a pretty good explanation of what's going to happen. It's filled with all sorts of endearing and cutesy things to make up for the Quinn drama, so enjoy!**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over for all of the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I seriously cannot get over the awesome amount of followers this story has, I'm so glad you guys like it! :D**

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Chapter 18 – Date Night

"Yo, babysitter chick that I don't know! You can leave because the Puckasaurus is handlin' this party now!" Puck yelled as he threw open the front door of the Lopez house, making the twins shriek in delight and said babysitter glare at him in disgust.

As she gathered up her things to leave, Santana passed her in the doorway and already began apologizing for her obnoxious friend. "Sorry, I'll have my dad send you a check."

"So, what's up mini-babes!" Puck called to the twins as they rushed up to him and attacked him with hugs.

"I missed you, Puck!" Isabel gushed, while he picked them both up. She vigorously ruffled his mohawk – something that she had always found to be particularly fun – and smiled giddily. They hadn't seen him since the football games in the fall, when Santana would let them tag along and watch her cheer.

Noelia wrapped her arms around his neck and went one step further than her sister by nuzzling her nose against his cheek. "I missed you _more_, Puck!"

"Aw, come on, girls!" Puck laughed with a cheesy grin. "You're too much! You're gonna make me blush!"

"They've both had a crush on him for like ever," Santana whispered to Rachel while they took their shoes off in the entryway. "Hey, you better keep it clean around my baby sisters, man!" she yelled at Puck, and then turned back to her girlfriend. "It's actually pretty adorable…he's great with them." Secretly, she had always thought that her friend would make a good father but she couldn't blame Quinn for wanting a future outside of Lima without a baby in tow. And she could tell that Puck probably shared the same sentiment, especially when he held the twins in even higher regards after Quinn's pregnancy and the adoption of the daughter they had together.

"I can't help it that your minis adore me," Puck said with his usual cockiness. "And if I recall correctly you used to be pretty hot for me too!"

"Watch it, asshole!" Santana snapped and waved her bandaged hand at him threateningly. "Or I'll beat you with my club hand!"

"Yes, Noah, please restrain yourself," Rachel added. "I'd hate to have to come to blows with you for harassing my girlfriend."

Puck chuckled as he continued holding the twins. "Is that the Rachel Berry way of saying you'll kick my ass if I mess with your girl?"

"Precisely!" Rachel laughed, but then rapidly turned serious. "Now, enough swearing! We're in the presence of children."

Suddenly, the front door slammed open again and Brittany practically jogged in carrying a large stack of pizza boxes on one hand and a case of pop under her other arm.

"Did you get my salad, Brittany?" Rachel shouted after her as she headed to the kitchen with her treasures.

"Yup!" the blonde shouted back through a mouthful of pizza. "But I still don't understand why virgins can't eat pizza too!"

"Dude, she's insane," Puck muttered under his breath and then carried the twins out into the kitchen, while leaving Santana and Rachel to laugh to themselves.

"Want to go change into pajamas? Get comfortable before we eat?" Rachel asked innocently enough.

"I'm so down," Santana answered.

After following her girlfriend to the hallway just outside of her bedroom, Santana began to realize what was happening. "Something tells me you don't need pajamas…" she said slowly, taking in the dark mysterious quality of the smaller brunette's eyes.

"Mmm, nope…" Rachel smiled as she opened the door behind her and walked in backwards. "Just you." She beckoned and Santana eagerly followed, stepping into her room and locking the door before approaching her.

"You know," Rachel mused, while taking Santana's uninjured hand and then urging her to lie on the bed. "Even though I wasn't exactly thrilled to see that you had fought with Quinn…" She kneeled on the bed herself, straddled Santana to lie on top of her, and then pressed her lips to her ear. "I can't deny that I found it to be intensely provocative…"

"Provocative?" Santana whispered back, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate on not getting too worked up too quickly. It would probably be a pointless effort with the girl on top of her being in an obscenely short skirt paired with tights.

Rachel nodded and nibbled the shell of Santana's ear with just her lips; she would save the teeth for later. "Intensely…" she repeated, her voice a whisper that was husky and much lower than usual. "And if I remember correctly, this is supposed to be _our_ evening together. So, I may have asked Puck to keep Brittany and the girls out of our hair for a while."

The Latina's eyes were still closed but she could feel her eyes rolling back beneath her fluttering eyelids. "Best idea ever and why do I feel like you're talking dirty to me without even being dirty?"

Rachel hummed an amused laugh and then sat up over her girlfriend to grab the black iPod docked in its iHome on the bedside table. She scanned through playlists while Santana smoothed her hands back and forth over her upper thighs and muttered to her bandaged, barely functional hand, "Stupid thing…"

After clicking on **The Mack List** – which seemed like it was created for exactly what they were about to do – Rachel put the iPod back in its place and turned her focus back to Santana. Then she carefully touched the backs of her fingers to her bruised cheek.

"Your poor face…"

Santana bit her bottom lip and nodded gravely. "I know, but I'll live." She figured it would be best to keep milking the bad girl appeal considering Rachel seemed to be so turned on by hot girls fighting.

"You will, but don't bite your lip," the petite brunette scolded. "The swelling is just starting to go down." Santana rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, making Rachel peer at her with narrowed eyes before gently pressing her index finger to said lips. She ran the tip of her finger from the subtle bow of her top lip down to her bottom lip, the drag causing them to part slightly to reveal white enamel. Then, she slid her hand down to hold Santana's chin as she moved in for a kiss.

"Thank you for defending me today," Rachel whispered, as she brushed the tips of their noses together.

"Eh, it was nothin'," Santana said while wearing a lazy, nonchalant smirk.

Rachel just smirked back. It was easy to see that her girlfriend was taking full advantage of the situation and she wasn't opposed to having a little fun with it herself. "You're kind of sexy when you're all roughed up for my sake."

Santana rolled her body, arching up beneath Rachel and silently telling her that she liked where they were headed. "You know what would be even sexier? If _you_ roughed me up a little."

"I'll see what I can do…"

And a while later things were starting to get a little rough. Rachel had her face buried in Santana's hair while she relentlessly sucked at the soft skin of her neck. If it was what Santana wanted then Rachel was going to give it to her, because she had never gotten the chance to reciprocate for the lovely love bite she had sustained a few days prior. In addition to making the Latina hiss and pant from the none too gentle kisses, Rachel was also making her squirm by inching her hand below her t-shirt, smoothing it higher and higher along the ridges of toned abs to the cup of her bra.

"Stop!" Santana abruptly demanded, startling her girlfriend and making her yank her hand from beneath her top.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Rachel quickly stammered. If anything, she thought that Santana would be more than ready to take things a bit further; her politeness and cautiousness were starting to make Rachel impatient. "I just thought –"

"No, I know, it's okay," Santana said without really knowing what she was saying. At the moment she was more concerned with having to reveal something that was more than just embarrassing, it was mortifying. But she had brought it upon herself and she knew the truth would have to be told if she and Rachel were ever going to take their relationship further. "It's just that…since I promised I would never lie to you again I have just one more confession to make."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel giggled, finding the whole situation ironic. She had always expected Santana to have a certain suavity when it came to intimacy, but mostly she had only bumbled and made everything awkward.

Santana uneasily looked up at the girl sitting atop her and reached her right hand under the neck line of her top, fishing around for something and then very slowly taking it out. What she revealed was a half moon shaped piece of soft silicone that was the same color as her caramel hued skin.

Rachel's mouth fell open and before she could stop herself she was gushing, "What!"

With a sheepish, guilty grin Santana quietly admitted, "I never had a boob job…"

"I can't believe it," Rachel went on, shaking her head as if trying to shake out her disbelief. "How did…why did…just why would you do that!"

Santana shrugged and looked away. "I just wanted to create some buzz around school," she said softly, and then her face fell into an expression of humiliation and shame.

"Hey, it's okay," Rachel told her as she lied down on top of her again and hugged her close. "I'm thoroughly pleased to find out about this hoax. I've always hated the thought of you going through all of that pain to uphold some male driven expectation. You don't and never will need anything like that. You're beautiful, Santana…you know that."

"'Kay…" Santana unenthusiastically answered. In her own mind, she wasn't always sure if what Rachel had said was true. But if Rachel was willing to keep repeating it with such pure sincerity then she supposed she should start trying to believe it as well.

"Give me the other one," the petite brunette said after a few minutes of embracing.

Santana pulled the insert out and placed it in Rachel's palm, where it was held for just a moment before she tossed it over her shoulder. "You don't need it, okay?" she repeated, looking deeply into Santana's eyes which still appeared uncertain. "_Okay?"_

"Okay, okay...fine. I don't need them," Santana finally agreed with a bashful smile that made her cheeks color, before it turned mischievous. "You just touched my fake tits…"

"And you're a pervert. Did you know that?" Rachel laughed, pressing her forehead to the other girl's temple.

"No, _you're_ the pervert!" the Latina insisted as she rolled Rachel onto her back, pinning her to the bed. "You're the one who was tryin' to get a feel!"

Rachel averted her eyes and chuckled with guilt, but definitely not with regret. "I just wanted to…you know, I just…" she trailed off, flitted her eyes up to Santana's and then back down to the silky flesh being exposed by her v-neck tee. "Can I?" she then asked, placing her hand at Santana's collarbone.

Santana nodded and closed her eyes as the hand slid down her chest to cup her breast through her bra. She exhaled heavily as Rachel lightly squeezed her hand closed. It was just a simple touch, one she had felt plenty of other times. Yet it felt completely different to have it be Rachel's hand touching her instead of anyone else, her touch was just so gentle and curious. "Does it feel different?" she asked playfully.

To Rachel, the size didn't matter. All she cared about was the softness, the curves, the heartbeat underneath and that it was Santana. "It feels like you," she whispered, before taking both of her hands and lacing them behind her girlfriend's neck and kissing her soundly.

They shared slow, unhurried kisses for a while longer until Rachel separated herself from Santana and pushed her back, just enough to make eye contact. "You know I've been thinking…" she began.

"Oh no," Santana teased, then grinned and quickly pecked her cheek in apology.

Rachel smiled back but it was apparent that her thoughts were somewhere else just as she had suggested. Her fingertips fidgeted where they were tangled in black hair at the back of Santana's head. "I was thinking that we don't really have to wait anymore if we don't want to…"

"Wait for…oh…got it," the Latina said after realization had dawned on her. Then she took a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably, she was being trapped by Rachel's legs linked over her lower back. And suddenly it was beginning to feel increasingly warm in the room. "Are you saying you want to like…_right now?_"

"No, no," Rachel somehow laughed, once again making Santana question how she could be so cool during certain _tense_ situations. "I just meant that I feel like it could happen any time now and that it would be right. Do you agree?"

Santana internally breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I agree. But what happened between today and Monday to make you change your mind?"

"I'm not really sure," Rachel admitted as she continued to toy with her girlfriend's hair, her eyes lowered. "I just know that if it happened I would be ready."

"I guess I just need to know that you're ready for that step on your own terms," Santana told the girl below her, while she awkwardly tried to push some of her hair back with bandaged fingers. "I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. I…" she paused to better gather her thoughts. "I like you so much, Rachel, and I would be willing to wait as long as it takes and do anything it takes for that moment to be perfect for you, for _us._"

Taking Santana's face in her hands, Rachel whispered, "You're the sweetest girl I've ever had the privilege of knowing. And the fact that you're my girlfriend, it's nearly unfathomable."

"Aw, geez," Santana replied back shyly, and then dropped her forehead to Rachel's shoulder. "Just don't tell anyone."

"I won't," the petite brunette vowed as they settled into what could only be described as now very practiced cuddling. _But there is something I want to tell you,_ she thought to herself. She didn't exactly know when it had happened, but a select phrase had gotten stuck on the tip of her tongue and she didn't think it would go away until it was revealed. She had even snuck the word 'love' into their conversation at the hospital, but Santana didn't seem to notice so she decided there would be a better time to tell her in the future.

"And okay, this might sound stupid, but I don't want to do anything until my hand is healed."

"Fair enough," Rachel giggled, situating herself on her side so that Santana could spoon her from behind.

The Latina set her lame hand over Rachel's hip, not wanting to risk wrapping her arm all the way around and bumping it. "Just look at the dumb thing, I can't do anything good with that. I wants to be on my game, you know? I want to make everything perfect for you and I can't perform with this stump."

"What will you be performing?" the smaller girl teased.

"Oh, I've got some tricks…"

A few minutes passed in silence before Rachel spoke up, sounding more serious again. "San? How was your first time?"

The silence that followed let Rachel know that Santana was thrown off by the question, but eventually she just simply said, "Bad…"

"It was?" the petite brunette tried to clarify, her voice soft and almost sympathetic.

Santana sighed and wiggled closer to the figure in front of her, making sure there was no space left between. She didn't necessarily like talking about what she regarded as a mistake, but she knew she wouldn't be judged. "Yeah…" she said blandly. "For every guy who just wants to bang some chick, there's a girl who probably didn't have a very good first time…like me."

Turning over to face her, Rachel asked in confusion, "But I thought Brittany was your first?"

"Nope, Puck," the Latina said with a mix of nonchalance and hinted sadness. "At that time, I was scared of being gay. I mean, I knew deep down that I was but there were just so many things going on. My mom hadn't been gone for very long and everyone was starting to talk about sex at school, so I thought that maybe if I had sex too then I would find that I was wrong…"

"And?" Rachel gently prompted, seeing the harbored pain in her girlfriend's eyes.

"And it just proved that I'm a major lesbian and that I definitely love girls," Santana said as she shrugged, then continued on. "Actually the first part was proven, but the second part wasn't discovered until Brittany came along. Man, was that a disaster…she was experimenting and I was going out of my mind because I was pretty sure I had found paradise." She laughed a little, but it was entirely without humor and used more to fill a pause. "That's when I told myself that I wouldn't fool around with guys anymore, but that only lasted so long."

"It kept happening with both Puck and Brittany and then it happened with Finn," Santana confessed, eyeing the girl beside her for her reaction. While Rachel and Finn had been involved in the past, they hadn't been when Santana was vainly trying to please Coach Sylvester by keeping a "younger" man. She was almost certain that Rachel was over the whole high school quarterback thing – at least she hoped, considering she _was_ her girlfriend now – but they hadn't had a formal discussion on the topic.

When Rachel gave her a nod and a soft smile, she knew it was safe to continue the story of her mostly rocky past. "He lasted barely all of five minutes and then he made me feel like total trash. He knew I didn't get anything out of it and he didn't even care," the Latina practically hissed, the memory of her night spent in a shady and drab motel room having more emotional effect than she would have liked it to. "I know I brought it on myself, but at least Puck would try to make it good for me. Sorry, you probably don't want to hear this…"

"It's okay, I asked. And you could never be trash, he's an unappreciative loser for making you feel that way and you're never going to have to feel like that again," Rachel replied quietly, as she absentmindedly toyed with the ends of Santana's hair. She knew that sometimes her sour on the outside/sweet on the inside girlfriend caused her own problems, but it was still disheartening to hear about the timeline of events that had led to her fragile confidence. "Now, how about we take a nap? You're probably exhausted."

"I guess I am sort of tired…" Santana agreed, and then gathered the smaller girl against her and rested her chin on top of her head. She was hoping she hadn't scared Rachel off with the near horror stories of her past, because she had meant what she said – she would do anything for her. "Everything I went through before you kind of sucked," she softly admitted as she held Rachel close. "But now I know how to give you everything I didn't get."

A knot suddenly lodged in Rachel's throat and although her eyes had already been closed, she could still feel the tears prickling beneath her eyelids. After years of torment from her peers – sometimes even from the girl she was lying against – she had found the real Santana, who was so giving and selfless. And it made her feel like going through all the upset and wondering of why she wasn't good enough was worth it, or at least outweighed by Santana's willingness to take care of her.

Having no way to put her feelings and appreciation into words, Rachel instead gripped Santana as hard as she could and squished herself impossibly closer. She knew her girlfriend understood the gesture when she gasped and laughed from the fierce embrace and then kissed her crown of dark hair.

Although Quinn may have gotten Santana ousted from the Cheerios, she had also unintentionally strengthened the bond between the two brunettes.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Upon waking, Santana had been sleeping so hard that she felt as if she had been out for days. And she would have slept even longer if it wasn't for Rachel fidgeting and wriggling against her back. She wasn't sure how she had ended up in that position, considering Rachel had fallen asleep with her head on her chest. But she was about to find out and she didn't mind at all anyway, the warm feeling of having her girlfriend clinging to her reminded her of the first morning they had woken up together – minus the twins attacking them.

"Mmm, Rach? Are you awake, babe?" she mumbled sleepily, pushing herself further back into the body behind her.

"Mhmm…"

With eyes still closed in relaxation, Santana hummed happily and smiled to herself. She loved everything about having a girlfriend. "Let's keep getting our snuggle on for a lil' bit longer…I don't want to go downstairs yet."

Her request was met with long arms being wrapped around her and an even longer leg being thrown over her own. A leg way longer than Rachel's could ever hope to be.

"Rachel?" Santana tested as she finally opened her eyes, sensing that something was off.

"Nope! It's Britt!" an overly cheery voice announced, before squeezing the Latina so tightly that she was sure she ceased breathing for a moment.

"What are you doing!" Santana demanded to know as she turned over and swatted the blonde's arm. Instantly making her jut out her lip in a pout.

"You said you wanted to snuggle!"

Sighing, Santana flopped her head back down onto her friend's shoulder. She was still too tired from all the activity and just felt like being as lazy as possible. "I just thought you were Rachel, that's all," she yawned, letting her eyes drift shut again. "Where is she anyway?"

"She's been up for a while now," Brittany explained while squinting up at the ceiling and pointing at things that were obviously only in her own head. "She made Puck go to BreadstiX and get breadsticks for you because she thought you would want that with your pizza when you woke up. Then she made me and the twins pick out all of your favorite DVDs so we can watch them tonight."

And then once again, the brunette was grinning to herself as she thought about her little diva not being a diva at all, but orchestrating an evening entirely devoted to her.

"She's pretty cool, San…" the blonde said and continued to poke at patterns on the ceiling with her index finger.

"She's more than just cool," Santana said as she sat up and ran her hands through her hair, trying to tame it after her nap. "And can I ask what you're doing?"

"Just looking for constellations…" Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something of extreme importance Brittany jumped up from the bed, dragging a reluctant Santana along with her. "I almost forgot! I was supposed to wake you up and bring you downstairs for your date!"

"Date?" Santana echoed in confusion, as she tried to keep up with the girl tugging her hand and leading her downstairs.

It wasn't until they reached the living room that she understood just what Brittany was talking about. The lights had been dimmed and on the floor, Rachel sat smiling on a blanket set with pizza boxes and a bag printed with the BreadStix logo. Behind her, Puck was looking bored and dressed in a wrinkly white shirt with a badly tied black bowtie, a dishtowel slung over his arm as he cradled a two liter of soda. The twins were nowhere to be seen but Santana figured they would be showing up soon enough. It seemed that everyone had fallen prey to Rachel's persuasive powers.

"Happy date night, Santana," Rachel said softly as she stood up and took her hand, guiding her towards the blanket. "For this evening, we'll be dining on pizza and the finest unauthentic Italian breadsticks that Lima, Ohio has to offer." She sat Santana down and then gestured to their mohawk wearing friend, who had likely been bribed and beaten into looking that submissive. "And our soda sommelier, Puck, with be providing our nonalcoholic beverages and any other services we may require."

The Latina was grinning from ear to ear as Rachel sat down across from her, barely containing her own smile. "This is really cute, it's perfect…" she whispered, as she took in the endearing contrast between the paper plates and the linen napkins and crystal wine glasses the crew had managed to put together.

Rachel gave her a wink and then snapped her fingers, causing Puck to step forward and Santana's brow to arch sharply in amusement.

"What can I get you, Rachel?" Puck droned.

"That's not what we practiced!" Rachel hissed up at him and then shot Santana another winning smile.

"Sorry…" Puck mumbled and then cleared his throat. "What will you be having this evening, Miss Berry?"

The petite brunette's slight pompousness and love for attention shown through as she cocked her head thoughtfully, and then haughtily announced, "To start, I would absolutely love an ice water with a wedge of lemon. No stray seeds please. And Santana, my dear, what would you like?"

"Um…" Santana said while attempting not to laugh. She couldn't believe her oldest guy friend was dressed in a pseudo-waiter's outfit courtesy her father's closet and serving her. "I guess I'll just have what she's having, please."

Puck rolled his eyes and held up the bottle of pop he was still holding. "Why I am hefting this thing if you're not even gonna drink it?"

"It completes the look and she may want some later! Now, just go get the water!" Rachel said crossly. After Puck disappeared into the kitchen she shook her head exaggeratedly and sighed, "It's so difficult to find suitable help these days. Oh well, we shan't let it dampen our evening together. How was your nap? More than satisfactory, I hope."

"It was _very_ satisfactory. I feel a little better now," Santana tried to say seriously, but then giggled. It was enough to make Rachel break her silly character and reach out to take her hand, grasping it in a small show of affection before she moved onto the pizza boxes.

"Eat as much pizza as you like," Rachel told her as she dished out slices onto a plate. "All of the rest of this is for you, considering Puck and Brittany ate three whole pizzas by themselves already."

"You made sure the twins got to eat, right?" Santana laughed, while taking a bite of a breadstick she couldn't resist fishing out of the BreadstiX bag.

"Of course! They're in the basement searching for some unspecified object. They wouldn't tell any of us what it was but they did inform that it was for you."

"Interesting…" Santana said with a nod, as she watched the girl in front of her open the plastic container to a leafy, green, way too healthy looking salad. Then, she glanced over her shoulder to where Brittany was sitting on the couch staring at them. She looked even more bored than Puck had been, with her elbows on her knees and her chin rested on her linked hands. "What's she supposed to be doing?" Santana asked quietly, leaning closer to her girlfriend.

"Oh, she just…actually I don't know what she's doing." Rachel admitted, before turning her attention to the blonde. "Brittany, you can't just sit there and stare at us. This is supposed to be a date."

"Why though?" Brittany questioned back in confusion, her brows coming together like she had just heard the most bizarre fact ever. "Every time I go out to eat there's usually always some weird old dude staring at me from across the restaurant. I'm pretending to be him."

Rachel and Santana slyly met each other's eyes and it was more than enough to convey their thoughts. Ignoring their creepily leering friend, they decided to focus on each other. Smiling in shy fashions as they continued to lock gazes and then look away to eat their pizza and salad.

"Bite?" Santana asked, holding her umpteenth breadstick towards the other girl.

Rachel shook her head no with a grin, but then speared a black olive from her salad with her fork. "Bite?" she repeated, offering it up. Santana beamed and comically opened her mouth, allowing herself to be fed by her girlfriend in a cutesy way that she could have never imagined herself doing before.

Moments later, Puck came back into the room with their ice water and lemon wedges while rapidly blinking his eyes. "You better fucking enjoy that lemon because that junk shot right in my eyes," he muttered, kneeling down and putting the glasses down as well.

"That's what she said!" Brittany added, sending herself, Puck, and Santana into a fit of laughter while Rachel looked on in disgust.

"That's no way to speak when young children are around, Brittany," Rachel chided for the second time. And just like clockwork, Isabel and Noelia came storming up from the stairwell to the basement, sounding more like a whole stampede of kids rather than just two.

"We found it!" they both proudly shouted in unison.

"Found what?" Santana questioned, still trying to contain her laughter over her friend's lame joke.

"This!" Noelia announced, thrusting her small fist in the air and revealing the object it clutched – a hot pink cat collar with a bell.

Santana was immediately asking, "What am I going to use that for?" while Brittany's face had fallen and she was quietly muttering, "Oh no, not that."

"What is it anyway?" queried Rachel, wondering what any of them were going to need a cat collar for.

"It was Lady Tubbington's collar!" Isabel explained, snatching the collar away from her twin and shaking it vigorously, making its tiny bell toll annoyingly. "Remember, Santí!"

Puck was nearly as lost as Rachel. "Is Lady Tubbs related to Lady Gaga?"

"No!" Brittany suddenly cried out, causing everyone else to cease their questioning. "Lady Tubbington is Lord Tubbington's late wife! They met after I brought him over here to play and then they married shortly after, but then she got hit by a car!"

Rachel made a grim expression and turned to Santana, who nodded the truth in the statement. Then, Brittany continued on with her anguished speech. "They were soul mates," she said wistfully, shaking her head in pity. "I don't think Lordy ever got over the shock. It was tragic for him and actually, I think that's why he has so many problems with addictions and weight gain these days."

There was a brief and unintentional moment of silence for Lady Tubbington before Santana abruptly interrupted it. "Oh, whatevs! Lord Tub-O-Lard will be fine, that cat was a bitch anyway. Now, what's the deal with this? What am I supposed to do with a collar besides tourniquet my wrist so I can hack this useless hand off?"

"Santana!" both Rachel and Brittany yelled at her, although for very different reasons; one for her crude language and suggestion, and the other for insulting Lady Tubbington's honor.

"You ring it and we bring you stuff!" Noelia said excitedly, to which Isabel added, "Duh!"

When the oldest Latina realized what her sisters had in mind she laughed in genuine amusement and took the proffered collar. "Thanks…"

Isabel bounced on the balls of her feet, just itching to burn some energy. "So, what do you want us to bring you?"

"I don't need anything right n –"

"Maybe you could go get her pillows and blankets from upstairs for when we watch the movies?" Rachel cut in, wanting to humor the twins and their thoughtful gesture.

"'Kay!" Like a shot, the young girls were running through the living room and clamoring up the stairs towards Santana's bedroom, ready to complete their task.

"It's just a broken finger," Santana said with an uneasy smile. She wasn't sure if she really did like everyone waiting on her like her father suggested they do. She was used to being the provider.

"And it's just that you're their big sister," Rachel explained, as she helped the taller girl up off the floor so they could sit on the couch. Puck and Brittany were in charge of taking care of the leftover pizza and their dishes. "They love you and they want to help you like you do them. So, just relax…we're all taking care of you tonight."

Santana shrugged and couldn't help but color a little; it was strange to just automatically get all the attention without trying. After a while the twins came back with enough blankets and pillows to outfit an army and soon Santana and Rachel were cuddled into a cocoon of them, watching _Bring It On_. Noelia and Isabel sat in front of the couch at their older sister's feet, impatiently awaiting the moment when she would ring the bell. Puck and Brittany were still on kitchen clean up duty, but from the sounds of their bickering it seemed that Puck was pulling both of their weight while Brittany mourned Lady Tubbington.

Just when the twins looked as if they might perish due to waiting in boredom, Santana jingled the collar and caused them to eagerly jump to their feet. "What do you need!" Noelia asked in an urgent manner. She already had one foot posed in front of the other, ready for takeoff.

_This is about to get good, _Santana thought to herself as she used her dark, puppy eyes to her advantage. "Do you think you could make me some popcorn?"

Noelia deflated a little after the request and dropped her hands at her side. "I can't reach the microwave…"

"Puck will help you," Santana said reassuringly. Then she threw a sly grin at Rachel, who was trying to stifle a giggle and shaking her head.

After Noelia scurried off to the kitchen, Santana was ringing the bell again and nudging Isabel's shoulder with her foot. "Isabel?" she whined in a high, uncharacteristic voice. "Could you get my lip balm from my room? I don't want the salt from the popcorn drying out my lips."

Isabel nodded enthusiastically before sprinting upstairs and then returning with a cream colored tube in her hand.

"Oh…vanilla," Santana said flatly after she had taken the lip balm. She lightly bit into her lip as if she was trying to seem apologetic, then said, "I forgot to tell you I wanted the strawberry one."

The little girl opened her mouth, so ready to spew a retort. But then she remembered that she had agreed to use the bell and forced a tight smile for her sister before heading back upstairs.

Not long after, Santana was eating popcorn, painting her still swollen lips with strawberry flavored lip balm and watching with keen eyes and a smug smirk as the twins practically ran circles around her. With all of her requests – "I need more ice water." "Could you adjust my pillows?" "More lemon, please." "Can I get some more breadsticks?" – they had become little blurs of tan skin and flying black hair, so much so that Rachel couldn't tell them apart anymore.

"You're taking advantage of them now," Rachel whispered as she watched the girls go off in different directions again.

"Just one more thing," the Latina promised, shaking the collar furiously and giving Rachel a reason to wince.

Puck and Brittany came into the living room and slumped down on the floor just as Noelia and Isabel came panting back, setting their hands on their knees while trying to catch their breath. "What else, San?" Noelia asked while still trying to seem chipper, although she looked like she was about to collapse.

Santana lifted up her blankets and patted the spot beside her. "I just need you to come watch the movie with us…I need some snuggles from my baby sisters."

The twins were all smiles as they sidled up to their sister and Rachel. But the same couldn't be said for Santana when her freshly reset finger was smashed between the side of her leg and Noelia's. Her eyes went wide from the shock of pain and a growl tore from her throat, but she swiftly choked it back. Rachel grimaced as she realized what had happened and admired her girlfriend for toughing out her discomfort so as not to hurt Noelia's feelings by letting her know.

Once everyone had settled down, Santana discreetly leaned her forehead against Rachel's temple and whispered, "You're like the most rockin' girlfriend in the world and I'm really sorry to bother you, but do you think you could get me something for my finger, please? It's throbbing and I think it's about to explode."

"I wouldn't be the most rockin' girlfriend if I refused," Rachel told her softly, then kissed her cheek and went to fetch some pain meds.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Once _Bring It On_ had finished they started in on _Confessions of a Shopaholic_, which had pleased the majority of the group excluding Puck. He entertained himself as well as Noelia by quietly regaling her with tall tales of his outrageous feats, while she giggled and fawned over him. Every so often Santana would eye them with a scowl, but then Rachel would direct her back to the movie.

"I like your muscles, Puck," Noelia said with way more flirtation than any six year old should have possessed. She had her small arms wrapped around his bare bicep, as he had shed Andres' shirt in favor of his white wife beater underneath.

Puck knew he shouldn't have been leading her on but he just couldn't resist flexing his arms and then blowing her a kiss. Noelia nearly squealed in delight and dipped her head into her shoulder, but then she boldly blurted out, "You should take off your shirt!"

"_Noelia Maria Lopez!" _Santana yelled, her ears automatically perking to her little sisters suggestive suggestion.

"What!" she snapped back, turning angry eyes to her older sister's equally blazing ones.

"You know _what!" _

Noelia huffed and tossed her head, then turned away from both Santana and Puck to face the flickering television screen. "I was just sayin'…"

Santana could only helplessly roll her eyes. "I can't believe her," she quietly told Rachel, who was doing a poor job of hiding the humor she found in the situation.

"Maybe she wants to get her mack on," Rachel tried to justify, nudging her girlfriend playfully.

"Minis aren't allowed to get their mack on…_ever._"

"I agree."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

It was close to midnight when Rachel was still wide awake and clicking through television channels while everyone else was dead to the world. As one hand tinkered with the remote, the other was draped through Santana's hair, absently stroking the glossy strands that lied in her lap. Even though she had slept for a few hours earlier in the evening, Santana had been the first one to fall asleep again. After the injection she received at the hospital had completely worn off she was left slightly uncomfortable even with the help of ibuprofen. So, Rachel had tried to remedy it as much as possible by letting her fall asleep on her, with her hand elevated by a pillow and the addition of a bag of frozen peas.

Brittany, Puck, and the twins lied on top of and under layers upon layers of blankets on the floor. Puck had crashed on his stomach and was pinned in place by Noelia, who was lying on his back. Brittany was playing big spoon to Isabel's small spoon and Rachel could just make out the image of Isabel's hand being dwarfed by Brittany's as she clutched her last two fingers.

As Rachel marveled over what could only be described as a lovable state of chaos, the garage door opened and shut and then Andres was coming in through the back door. Since she was being held in place by Santana she waited until he quietly crept into the living room to give him a surprisingly bright smile. She was now secretly elated that she was awake and able to witness first hand that he had kept his promise to his daughter. Because even if Santana wasn't awake, at least she would be able to tell her that he really had come home to check up on her and she was sure it would make her just as happy.

"I thought you would all be asleep," he said softly, returning a smile to his daughter's girlfriend as he shrugged off his sleek black coat.

"I'm not really tired," Rachel admitted and then looked down at Santana and delicately ran her fingertips along her hairline. "That's alright though, at least I'll be awake if she needs anything."

He smiled again and then disappeared into the kitchen and Rachel took it as a good opportunity to switch Santana's peas for the next bag of frozen vegetables. Carefully, she snuck away without causing too much of a disturbance and trailed after Andres.

Though the sight she was met with when she entered the kitchen had her faltering and close to stealthily retreating to the living room. "Sorry…" Rachel mumbled somewhat awkwardly, after catching Andres toying with a cut crystal tumbler. It did give her a spike of disappointment to see, but she figured that just having him keep a small promise would already be an improvement in Santana and the twins' lives. "I was just going to get some more peas or something for her finger."

"It's no problem, go ahead" Andres advised, putting the tumbler back into the cupboard it had come from in favor of sitting at the counter and opening a half empty pizza box. He picked up a slice, studied it in his hand for a moment like he was wishing it was something else and then finally took a bite.

After finding another bag, Rachel went back to her girlfriend to make the switch. She picked up the mostly thawed peas and then gently set the new bag on top of Santana's hand, but it wasn't gentle enough to keep her from jerking her head and whimpering in her sleep.

"Shh," Rachel hummed to her as she caressed her arm and then kissed her forehead. Santana whimpered once more, but when the press of lips lingered she eventually calmed and began to breathe evenly again. "Sweet dreams, San."

Once she was finished she went to put the peas back in the freezer, feeling somewhat reluctant to go knowing that Andres was still seated in the kitchen. She didn't want to cause anymore awkwardness, but her own unwillingness to back down and the soggy plastic bag in her hand pushed her forward.

"So, did you kids have fun tonight?" Andres asked as soon as he felt the little brunette's presence once again. "Eat a lot of pizza?"

"Well…" Rachel began, closing the freezer door. "They did, more specifically Noah. I didn't though…I'm a vegan."

"Oh," Andres murmured and then paused. It made him feel bad to not know anything about his daughter's girlfriend, especially since their interactions at the hospital made it evident that they were so close. He hadn't even known of Rachel's existence until just a day prior. "My apologies then, I would have sent Brittany after something else for you if I had known."

"It was fine," Rachel said while dismissively shaking her head. "I had her order a salad for me…_one_ salad."

Andres laughed after catching the subtle joke. "And how was Santana? Was she feeling okay?"

"Let's just say that she was fine until Noelia accidentally sat on her hand."

Now it was Andres' turn to shake his head and smile, he didn't have to be around all the time to know that all of his daughter's were a handful on their own. Together, they could wreak havoc. When there was nothing left to say, a tense silence ensued until Andres felt it was his duty as the adult to break it. "You know…I know we just met and I know you're probably not my biggest fan, but I already like what I see in you. And I like the changes I've seen in Santana because of you," he explained, while focusing on nothing. "The way you calmed her down at the hospital today…that was just…it was impressive. She hates hospitals for reasons you probably already know, but once you were there she was like a different person. I may not be the best dad but I still notice those types of things."

"It's not my place to judge you, I have no right to," Rachel replied respectfully. "I only know what little things Santana has told me, but I don't think that gives me a right to label you as anything."

Raising his eyebrows as if he was impressed once again, he said, "That's very mature of you."

"I try," Rachel said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I try to see the best in people. Everyone has a reason for the way they are."

"You're exactly right," Andres said in agreement, getting up from his seat. "But I suppose I should let you get to sleep, I know you all had a pretty rough day."

Rachel still didn't feel very tired, now she was too excited to tell Santana about what had happened. She knew that one small conversation couldn't predict an entire future, but she got a good feeling from it. She felt that the events of the day had woken Andres up and she was strongly hoping that she was correct.

With a peppy nod and a million watt grin, Rachel chirped, "Goodnight!" and then hurried back to the couch. She would force herself to sleep if it meant she could see Santana smile in the morning.

* * *

**Can you tell that I'm not a fan of the whole Santana-got-a-boob-job-but-we-never-talk-about-it storyline! I'm sure some girls' parents would let that happen, but I refuse to believe that many parents to a sixteen year old would actually let her do that...so in this story it didn't happen! Hope you liked it and thanks for reading! They'll be back at school in the next chapter! :)**


	19. Santanitude

**AN: OMG, this chapter turned into such a monster! It's so long that I actually feel bad for throwing all of this at you at once...do authors do that? Feel bad for giving long chapters? Idk! It's loosely edited because I spent like six hours writing today to finish this and it's late and I just can't read anymore. This chapter has a little bit of everything - resolutions, apologies, songs, fluffiness, flashbacks, and some angst which I'm sure you all are going to absolutely LOVE! I felt I should mention that it might seem a little backwards to have such a focus on Quinn at the moment, but I promise it's important for opening up a storyline for Rach (and San) in future chapters. Also, I can't lie...the reason this chapter is so long is because I just wanted to get everything out of the way that needed to happen so that we can get to PEZBERRY SEXYTIMES! Finally! The next chapter is going to be all about that, as in the rating is going up to M because it's about to get hot in here! And with that, enjoy! ;) **

**Since I got a review saying that I was Finn bashing in the last chapter...yes, maybe I was a little. I do realize that San used him initially, but what he said to her afterwards was pretty nasty of him and even though she's the "bad guy" in the situation she didn't say anything as insulting as what he said to her. I did mention that San brought her problems on herself, etc. but in the end this is a story about her and her life. And basically, I just don't like Finn, least favorite character on the show actually. He treats both Rachel and Quinn like trash and he doesn't deserve either of them...they deserve each other! ;)**

**Thanks for all the love, reviews, alerts, and favorites! And sorry this AN is so long!**

* * *

Chapter 19 – Santanitude

"So…why are we here, again?" Santana droned from her position lying on her back on the choir room's piano. Her head was hanging off the edge, making her long locks spill towards the floor. So far the only thing she had gathered from viewing the world upside down was that Rachel's legs looked fabulous from any angle. "I thought that getting kicked off the Cheerios would at least mean that I got to start eating lunch again."

"Santana…" Rachel said in exasperation as she uncapped a dry erase marker. "You know the reason why we're here and you getting kicked off the Cheerios makes up a large portion of it. You have anger issues and I've taken it upon myself to help you with them. So! Today, we're going to compile a list of suitable outlets for your anger, things with more positive outcomes!"

Santana rolled over to make sure she wasn't just misinterpreting her girlfriend's expression. But even after looking at her from a normal point of view it was painfully obvious that Rachel was completely serious. "Are you being for real right now?" she just had to ask.

"Of course, I'm 'being for real right now!'" Rachel air quoted, absolutely refusing to adopt Santana's slang into her own speech without its joke quality being noted. "You just had your finger broken in a fist fight. Next time I could turn around and find you with brass knuckles and a switchblade!"

Putting her hand in the air, Santana cut in with, "Whoa, hold up! Are you implying that since I'm Hispanic I might carry a blade? Because I think that would be a capital cliché to explore."

With a stomp of her foot, Rachel shouted, "The only thing that is capital right now is _you_ being capital 'D' difficult!"

"Oh, you gots jokes, Rach!" Santana laughed and then flopped onto her back again, finding the childish behavior to be a lot more fun than listening to her girlfriend.

"This stubbornness and unwillingness to listen is exactly what got your finger broken," Rachel huffed as she placed a hand on her hip and turned to face the whiteboard. "Now, we're going to work on how you can control you're…" she paused to write a single word on the board and Santana winced as images of Mr. Schuester assaulted her mind, "Santanitude."

"Santanitude?" the Latina echoed, her tone one of confusion. "What the hell is that?"

"It's two words put together," Rachel explained. "It's a portmanteau of your name and the word attitude. Santanitude, get it?"

"I get it, but I don't get why we're talking about it…"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the whiteboard and then stabbed at it with the marker as she began making bullet points. "This is what I'm talking about…"

"Well, _I _just think it's unfair," Santana went on while she kicked her feet in the air for simple entertainment, not caring that she was in a dress and that if anyone else was in the choir room they could have gotten more than an eyeful. And Rachel was too busy with the marker and whiteboard to notice anyway. "When I make up words I get in trouble for not using proper grammar, but when you make up words it becomes a learning lesson?"

"Yes, and the lesson begins now. So, first order of business – tell me what makes you angry."

"This…"

"Santana!"

"Alright, alright…lemme think," Santana said blandly. As she thought, she took off the sky high purple pumps she was wearing with her skintight dress and set them on the piano beside her. Then she began blindly using her hand to rummage through her purse. Once she found her lip gloss she started smoothing it over her lips, complete with obnoxious smacks and kissy noises. She couldn't help but grin when she could see Rachel's feet moving towards her on the white tile floor.

"You're not thinking, you're stalling," Rachel said in a stern tone, taking Santana's cheeks in her hands.

A guilty giggle filled the air between them. "You're hot upside down," Santana told her girlfriend in hopes of her forgetting all the anger management nonsense for something that at least involved kissing. But when a foot started tapping loudly she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. "Well, maybe I just don't want to do this…who said you get to be the boss of me?"

"You did!" Rachel chirped. "Right when you asked me to be your girlfriend."

"What!" Santana squawked and tried to sit up, only finding that she couldn't when Rachel was holding her face. "Are you saying you have me whipped? Because that's –" She was cut off with the kissing she had been hoping for and she only struggled for a few moments before surrendering, letting her fresh lip gloss meld her and Rachel's mouths together.

"Now, what were you saying?" the petite brunette asked nonchalantly, using a fingertip to swipe the excess lip gloss that had been exchanged from the corner of her mouth.

Eventually, Santana's eyes fluttered back open and she wore a dreamy, dazed expression. "I was just saying that I _love_ being whipped by you, Rachel Berry." Then she closed her eyes once more. "And can you kiss me again? I totally feel like Spiderwoman right now."

"No more kisses until you cooperate," Rachel informed as she walked away, but not before patting the Latina on the head for encouragement. "By the way, I'm marking this date on our relationship calendar…the day you admitted to loving being whipped."

"It's all good. If I get called whipped for takin' good care of my woman then whatever, I'm happy to admit it."

The comment made Rachel turn to find Santana's eyes again, her face one of thankfulness and adoration. "Your woman?" she echoed softly.

Santana shrugged but then her resolve broke and she gave a smile accompanied by a wink. "Yeah, my woman…_you_…"

Rachel couldn't unscrew the giddiness from her face and after glancing at her shoes and then to the other girl, she confessed, "I forgot what I was even talking about."

As she pulled herself up to sit cross legged, Santana chuckled. It was a rare occasion for her girlfriend to be rendered speechless. But she had made it happen just a few short times and it was always cute and amusing. "You were about to go full psychiatrist on me," she reminded. "So, I'll just make your job easy and say that something that makes me angry is…when the vending machine eats my money. I mean, that counts right? It gets me pretty hot and _not_ in the good kind of way!"

"That's a prime example! Good job, baby!" Rachel gushed as she began scribbling on the whiteboard. "Now, tell me how you would normally confront that situation and then we'll come up with a more appropriate one."

The Latina bit at her bottom lip. "Usually, I kick the machine and pound on the glass, but if that doesn't work then I just start pressing all the buttons. Oh! And one time I tried to use my nail file to open the cash box, but when that didn't work Puck and I just tipped it."

"That's extraordinarily dangerous, Santana!" Rachel shouted in disbelief. "Tipping vending machines has been known to kill people!"

"I wants my snacks when I wants 'em!"

"Well, you won't be doing that again," Rachel said firmly, her tone revealing that there would be no arguing over the subject. She penned some words beside a bullet point and Santana could only assume that they were describing the good deed she was supposed to carry out. "Next time, you will go to Principal Figgins and ask him to open it for you. He's your pal, San…see, Princi-_pal_," she reiterated, while using her hand to showcase the word.

Dropping her head, Santana laughed and shook it back and forth as she held it in her hands. It was quite possibly the lamest thing she had ever heard, but she still couldn't figure out why she found some of the weirdest things Rachel said to be so funny instead of aggravating. It made her recall a time not long ago when she thought Rachel was crazy for saying the oddities she did. But she hadn't just thought it, she had told her too – while screaming in Spanish and being restrained because she was raving like a lunatic. Now, she was sitting in the choir room and missing out on eating lunch, willing to do anything the girl told her.

"Fine, that's what I'll do," Santana answered simply after lifting her head. But then it was time for her to spin the game to her advantage. "Now, here's something else that makes me mad…" she paused for effect and then went on, "when Mr. Schue doesn't give you enough solos."

Rachel had her hand poised to continue writing but when she heard the confession it fell back down to her side. "That makes you mad?" she questioned back. Sure, it was one of her biggest pet peeves but no one – including Santana – had ever complained about her _not_ getting a solo before.

"Yeah, I love your voice and you're probably like the best singer in all of flippin' Ohio…maybe even the entire Midwest. You deserve the spotlight," the Latina said while she studied her nails. It was a habitual move that she could oftentimes be found doing when she was nervous or just simply trying to appear aloof. Plus, it was important to her to keep her manicure up anyway, with the way Rachel had been acting she never knew when she was going to have to put her fingers to good use.

"Well…" Rachel practically sighed with happiness, as she recapped the marker and set it on the sill. "I guess you can keep being mad over that, I just can't see the harm in it. Besides, you seem to understand the point I was trying to make." Once she was finished erasing the whiteboard she hopped up onto the piano.

Santana raised both of her hands up, prompting Rachel to lay hers flat against them. "Is it scary for you to be this high off the ground?" she teased, while they both playfully pushed against each other's hands. Eventually the smaller girl won and pushed Santana onto her back, making her groan as she was pinned to the hard surface.

"Shut up," Rachel whispered with the utmost affection as she looked down into smiling eyes.

Without Santana being on the Cheerios they may have been just two losers who were known for nothing more than being together and being in Glee club. But they didn't care; they were having enough fun just being with each other.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Hey, _San!_"

The taunting voice had Santana seeing red before she had even seen the face of the person it belonged to. It didn't matter though; she knew exactly who it was. She shoved her locker closed with a little more force than was necessary, enjoying the loud metallic rattle that it made as it came to a stop. After Rachel's brief anger management session she was sure that taking out her aggression on her locker was much better than Quinn's face. But truly she wouldn't have loved anything more than doing just that.

Even though it was an inconvenience as her classroom was in the opposite direction, Santana took off to the left to avoid Quinn, who seemed to be fighting her battles alone that afternoon.

"You can't just ignore me!" the blonde called after her, quickening her steps to catch up.

"Watch me," Santana mumbled under her breath. She couldn't be expected to contain everything if she was going to go with the whole be-good-and-don't-get-into-anymore-trouble route. She couldn't even see Quinn's face let alone read her thoughts. But if she could have she would have know that her cold shoulder was causing more sadness than anger for the blonde.

"_Santana!"_ Quinn finally screamed at her, making her reluctantly turn around. A few bystanders cast curious looks their way, but after hearing about what had happened Friday after school no one was willing to cross either girl. Not that they would have before either.

"What, Quinn!" Santana shouted back, throwing her hands in the arm. "What more could you possibly want from me!"

The blonde's lips parted as if she had something to say but nothing came out. Truthfully, she hadn't really been expecting Santana to give her the time of day. She just wanted to bother her and get a bit further under her skin if she could. "I just wanted to say that I like your newest accessory," she eventually said in a snotty, spiteful tone. She held her own hand up and pointed to her fingers with the other for emphasis. "I'm sure it goes great with your uniform." She looked down at herself and her own uniform, before pointedly looking at Santana and putting a hand to her mouth in mock shock. "Oops, I guess it doesn't!"

Santana's lip curled and just as the regret of not slamming Quinn's head in when she had the chance flickered through her mind, she swiftly turned around and briskly walked away. She managed to block out Quinn's snickering and she even resisted the urge to just rage at anyone and everyone. But when she got inside the auditorium – the only place that was guaranteed to be empty – she threw her backpack at the nearest row of chairs and let a scream of pure ire cut loose.

She was ready to let the chairs suffer more abuse courtesy of her foot before she remembered that high heels weren't the best choice for that type of violence. So instead she slumped down against the sidewall of the auditorium and just angrily glared at the sea of chairs.

Her frustration was so high that she could already feel the hot burn of tears at the corners of her eyes, but she didn't want to give Quinn the privilege of making her cry anymore.

_Don't do it, Santana. She's not worth it,_ she concentrated on telling herself as she took deep breaths.

After calming down enough to act in a civil manner, she ran her hands over her face, retrieved her backpack and then managed to make her way to the front of the stage in the low lighting. She sat down in the first row and lounged back in the chair, letting the darkness and the openness of the silent space weigh on her. There was no way she could go to class after being so worked up, but it wasn't as if she had never skipped a class in her life. She thought about texting Rachel and then quickly dispelled the idea; she couldn't have her girlfriend cutting school just because she had such a bad temper.

So instead of brooding and just generally being pissed off at the world like she normally did when she was angry, Santana tried something different. She focused all of her energy into doing something positive like Rachel had suggested and before she had even fully realized what she had done, she was using the light of her cell phone to stare down at the jumbled lyrics she had just written into a notebook.

After reading through the lyrics once, twice, and then three times, her face broke into a smile. Then, she was sending a text message and impatiently hoping that Rachel would check her cell phone despite being in class.

**Get a bathroom pass n then come meet me n the auditorium! Plz! I just did something insane! ~ SaNtAnA**

**Santana, what did you do this time! Are you alright! You better be! I'm on my way. ~ BrightStar**

Once Santana read Rachel's reply she realized that maybe she hadn't used the best or most reassuring choice of words, but it got her what she wanted and that was all she cared about at the moment. She knew that Rachel would appreciate her urgency once she read the song she had just accidentally written.

When the doors at the back of the auditorium flew open and a slice of light shone through, the Latina called out, "Down here!"

Rachel was by her side in almost an instant, the stage and everything that surrounded it was like her second home and she didn't need the lights to navigate her way around. "What's wrong? You didn't get into another altercation, did you?" the petite brunette asked rapidly, sounding out of breath like she had just power walked the entire way there.

"No, something better! I wrote a song!" Santana answered in an ecstatic tone, and then pulled her girlfriend into the chair beside her. She set the notebook in Rachel's lap and then clicked a button on her cell phone to make the screen glow and illuminate the paper. "Read it!"

Santana couldn't help but smile as she watched Rachel's eyelashes move as she read, the bluish white light softly shining off of them. Rachel, on the other hand, couldn't help but be struck with disbelief. With just a little tweaking the song would be perfect to use for Regionals.

"Santana, this is good," Rachel said softly, still studying the paper. "Like extremely good. If you sing this at Regionals we'll win."

"Thanks…" Santana whispered as she looked down at her hands self consciously. "But I can't sing it."

"But why? This is amazing!"

Santana shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know, I just can't do it…but I do want you to sing it."

"It's your song though," Rachel tried to reason, reaching out to entwine their hands together. She hated the fact that when it really came down to it, Santana was so stuck in her insecurities that they sometimes held her back.

"But you're my girlfriend, my _first_ girlfriend," Santana told her, while squeezing her hand for emphasis since her cell phone screen had gone black. They sat in the darkness, hardly able to see each other besides in silhouettes. "And you're the only part of my life that I feel like I've gotten mostly right so far. So, please, sing it for me."

With senses heightened, Santana could hear the slight hitch in Rachel's breathing as she admitted, "I don't even know what to say. Thank you, of course, but –"

"Just say you'll sing it…"

"If it's what you really want, then I would love to…"

Almost immediately, the smaller girl was squished in a fierce hug that she could barely return with Santana pinning her arms to her sides. When she eventually got one of her hands free she pet her girlfriend's back and smiled over her shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Santana whispered as she playfully peppered kisses along Rachel's cheeks, neck, and whatever else her lips happened to bump into in the dark, making them both giggle. _Thank you for giving me a chance, thank you for believing in me, thank you for letting me love you. _

"You're very welcome!" Rachel replied and then wrestled herself away to run towards the stage and push herself to stand on its vast surface. "And now, ladies and gentleman, the performance you've all been waiting for!" she yelled to the imaginary audience in the empty auditorium. She threw out her arm in a gesture of grandeur and Santana could just make out her movements as she followed behind. "The New Directions singing _Get It Right_ by Santana Lopez!"

"I don't think it needs that type of announcement," Santana said as she approached her girlfriend and grasped the hand she had offered to her. Though instead of joining her on the stage she stayed on the floor, making sure that Rachel didn't take an accidental stage dive.

"Sure it does!" Somehow the petite brunette thought it was appropriate to daintily walk along the very edge of the stage like a tightrope walker, while Santana acted as her safety net so she could chatter aimlessly. "This is the year! We're going to win, I can just feel it! And then, everyone at this school will deem us so glorious that they'll want to do nothing but bow at our feet!"

"Sounds like a big turnaround from our current situation," the Latina chuckled and leaned her back against the stage, raising her hand above her head so Rachel could continue to hold it.

"Oh, but it will be!" Rachel went on in an intentionally whimsical voice. She was forced to stop walking when Santana did, so she shoved her other hand in the girl's straightened black hair and ruffled it wildly just because she could.

"Hey, watch it, short stuff!"

Rachel sat down and let her legs hang over on either side of Santana's waist, while she set her chin on top of her head. "Funny you should say that…"

"Blah blah blah," Santana mocked. Suddenly, an idea hit her and for the second time that day she was removing her shoes, and then handing them to her girlfriend. "Hold these."

"Why? What are you do – _San!"_

"Calm down, I'm not gonna drop you," Santana assured as she wrapped her arms under Rachel's thighs and then pulled her onto her back and away from the stage. "I'm a Cheer – well, I _was_ a Cheerio – but I'm sure I still possess some of my _Sue_-perhuman strength."

"That's not the problem! I'm wearing a skirt, Santana!" Rachel argued back, one hand trying to keep a hold of the heels while the other gripped Santana's shoulder.

"It's dark in here and I won't tell. It's not like _I _can see anything…unfortunately!" That comment earned Santana a light smack upside the head, but she got revenge by threatening to drop Rachel. And soon they were caught up in a fit of laughter as Rachel's palm slapped over her eyes, trying desperately to remain aloft. "Now I really can't see anything!" she complained.

When Rachel dropped the shoes and used both hands to cover Santana's eyes, she had to stop walking for fear of running into something. "Stop it!" she laughed, trying to shake her head away to no avail.

It became apparent that Rachel wasn't going to remove her hands so she just stood still. Then, there were warm lips brushing her ear and kissing softly, before they whispered, "I can't wait to make love to you…"

A shiver ran the length of Santana's spine and she involuntarily released a shaky breath. It wasn't Puck asking for a quickie in the backseat of his truck or Brittany wanting to share sweet lady kisses, it was her girlfriend talking about making love. It sounded so grown up, so official and the notion of doing just what Rachel apparently couldn't wait for made her more nervous with each passing day. She wasn't sure how it was going to come about, but she did know that it needed to be as close to perfect as possible.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After three days spent brainstorming and bickering in front of the Berries' piano after school, they girls had finally set the song to music. It was rough to say the least, but that didn't stop Rachel from hauling the entire Glee club to the auditorium – where the song had been conceived – for a preview performance.

As the little diva adjusted the height of her microphone, preparing to belie her short stature with her huge stage presence, she went over her usual pre-performance mental check list. All of the technicalities were in order and her equipment was set up to her exact specifications, but something still seemed to be amiss. Because in addition to spending three days pouring over the music, she had also spent three days trying to convince Santana to sing the song with her to no avail. So now, standing on stage alone, Rachel still felt that it wouldn't be right to go on without her.

Changing her direction at the last moment, Rachel took the microphone from its stand and went to sit at the edge of the stage, making the small group in the audience murmur in confusion. She chanced a look and a hint of a smile at Santana – who was eyeing her from the back of the cluster of teenagers with a finely arched brow – before going along not as according to plan.

"Well, as you can see, I'm obviously alone on this stage this afternoon and I'm supposed to be singing you all a solo, a solo of the original song we might possibly be using at Regionals," Rachel said in her typical bubbly, born-for-the-spotlight voice. "But, I'm sitting here now because unusually enough I don't want to sing a solo. Instead, I want to sing a duet with the very person who has insisted on not singing it with me, the wonderfully talented and beautiful writer of the song…my girlfriend, Santana Lopez." She finished the first portion of her impromptu speech by pointing the Latina out, her smile growing bright and luminous for everyone to take notice of.

Oppositely, Santana immediately blushed due to all the attention as the actual spotlight swiveled across the auditorium to land on and shine over her. She ducked her head and let her dark hair shield some of her face, while she shook her head in disagreement and mouthed, _"No!"_ to her girlfriend.

Rachel rolled her eyes in feigned exasperation, but then pinned Santana with an even more heartfelt smile, one that she wouldn't be able to resist. "Come on, baby!" she urged into the microphone, allowing everyone to hear the simple term of endearment.

When the crowing and whistling began from her peers and Puck shamelessly shouted, "Get your ass up there, Lopez!" Santana had no other choice but to rise from her seat – red faced but hardly containing a grin – and join Rachel. As she walked down the aisle, she continued shaking her head while giving Rachel a not so potent glare that conveyed both her adoration and her desire to wring her neck.

"I know you wanted me to sing this song and I'm honestly flattered that you thought of me when you wrote it, and that you gave me this opportunity," Rachel said to everyone, but as her eyes were trained only on the girl walking towards her. "But it just doesn't feel right to sing it without you."

After pushing herself up beside Rachel, Santana sheepishly looked out towards the rest of her classmates and then to the tips of the boots she was wearing. "Hey…" she said quietly, only loud enough for the petite brunette beside her to hear.

"Hi…" Rachel answered back, putting the microphone in her lap and dropping her other hand to sit over Santana's where it rested flat on the stage's surface.

"I don't know how you want to do this," Santana admitted softly. "I wrote it all for you."

"I know and I love that," Rachel told her as they locked gazes and forgot about everyone else for a moment. "But maybe we could do what we had talked about before…where you just sort of be my echo and back me up, just so I know you're there."

The Latina nodded her agreement, but dropped her head down again. "You make it all sound so much sweeter than just singing a song together."

With one last smile and a pat of her hand, Rachel took that as her cue to begin and raised her microphone once more. She scooted closer to Santana and held it between both of them, as the lights dimmed further and she said evenly, "And without further adieu – the first performance of _Get It Right._"

By the time the ever elusive Brad had played out the last few notes of the song and both Santana and Rachel had finished, the smaller girl's cheeks were streaked with her customary tears. "Okay!" she gushed with a watery laugh, hastily wiping at her face. "I know you're all used to hearing my self-praise, but I don't think I'm alone in my opinion of thinking that that was really good!"

The Glee club erupted into applause. Including Santana, who after clapping for only a few seconds was overcome by their achievement and gently palmed Rachel's chin to pull her in for a surprise kiss. The cheering only got louder after that and the inevitable cat calls from Puck made Santana laugh against her girlfriend's lips. It was all done with the best intentions though and for the first time in maybe forever both brunettes felt at home amongst their musical motley crew.

"Mr. Schuester, could I have a chance to speak for a moment?"

The sudden voice grabbed everyone's attention and soon the auditorium was enveloped in silence, while Quinn stood in front of her seat. She had her Cheerios uniform on but she wasn't in her usual no fear, head held high stance. In fact, she appeared uneasy as her eyes darted around to the faces that were now turned to look at her and her hands were clasped in front of her pleated skirt, fidgeting.

The automatic anger that Rachel felt shoot through her as she took in the cheerleading frightened her a little. She wasn't used to having violent thoughts and she certainly wasn't used to wanting to inflict any type of pain when she herself had been the receiver of it before. But as Quinn tried her best to look meek, Rachel couldn't help but feel that it was going to be another instance of her taking a moment of happiness and trying to shatter it. And she just couldn't help the thoughts running through her head because of it either. Santana, on the other hand, was just so exhausted from the emotional ups and downs that she uncharacteristically found herself only hoping that Quinn would just be announcing a stupid Cheerios fundraiser or something of the like. Although it seemed to be an unlikely reason considering the blonde's strange disposition.

"Um…sure, Quinn," Mr. Schuester said with a bob of his head and a half smile that looked way too forced. It was both a perk and a misfortune to run a close knit club in a gossip rampant school; the rumors always got around, even to the staff. So, when his feisty class clown had returned to school on Monday with several battle scars and buddy taped fingers he already knew the reason why. "Go ahead…"

After taking a deep breath and smoothing down her skirt for no needed reason, Quinn slipped out of the row of chairs, walked down the aisle, and then stopped somewhat short of Santana and Rachel. Surprisingly, she didn't dare to look at either of them and opted to speak without using the microphone. It wasn't really needed and attempting to get it would only cause contact with Rachel, who was zeroing in on her with a not so friendly expression.

"So, I know you all know what happened last Friday," Quinn began without preamble. "It's pretty obvious since none of you will talk to me anymore and that's fine, I guess. But I just wanted you all to know that I've been thinking about what I did…and I'm sorry."

She turned to Santana and Rachel and gave a slight shrug as one of her hands flopped in a helpless gesture at her side. "I'm sorry…" she repeated blandly.

Almost instantly, Rachel began shaking her head in utter disbelief. There was nothing sincere about what Quinn had said and her nonchalance only served to anger the petite brunette even more. But unbeknownst to her the apology had been made on an impulse and deep down it had been meant to be sincere, even if it hadn't come off that way.

As Rachel slid off the front of the stage Santana lightly tugged at her arm, but was shrugged off. She marched up to Quinn in a determined fashion and didn't let their difference in height intimidate her as she stuck her nose in the air. "Did you really mean what you said or are you just upset that even after _everything _you did you're still not winning the popularity contest!" The yelled question shocked everyone in the room, but none more so than Santana. She was frozen in place, her jaw partially slack as she watched her normally nonconfrontational girlfriend invade Quinn's space.

Quinn's hazel eyes dropped to the floor as she realized her mistake. Attempting to apologize in front of the entire Glee club in their current setting only made it seem like she wanted to gain part of her reputation back. "I…" the blonde said softly. "I just –"

The sharp clap of an open palm colliding with a smooth cheek reverberated in the hollow auditorium and then Santana's gasped inhale was heard before everything went completely silent again. Everyone was struck speechless and it had all happened so fast that Mr. Schuester could only look on as the scenario played out.

In that moment, Rachel hated herself for resorting to such base actions but at the same time the feeling of satisfaction was undeniable. Her hand was tingly and stinging, and she bitterly hoped that Quinn's face felt even worse. It wasn't behavior that she condoned, but after witnessing all of the pain that Santana had gone through it felt like pure bliss to be able to defend her girlfriend and put Quinn in her place all at once.

Reaching up hesitantly, the blonde ghosted her fingertips over her blossoming cheekbone and tried to blink the pain away. "I deserved that," she finally admitted in a whisper, though her voice still cracked anyway. Her eyes were rapidly filling with tears but Rachel just couldn't bring herself to care.

"You're _damn_ right you deserved it! And while I can't even begin to describe how angry and disgusted I am with myself for slipping to your pathetic level of existence, after everything that you've put Santana and I through you're just lucky that I didn't decide to break your pretty little nose, Quinn Fabray!" The diatribe ended with the brunette's finger nearly jabbing into said nose and then as quickly as it had happened she was stomping towards the doors in her realest, most powerful storm out to date.

Santana was on her feet within seconds, watching the doors rush closed behind one of the sexiest images she had ever seen in her life – a thoroughly pissed off Rachel Berry. Then she was jumping up and down on the stage and pumping her fist, while proudly shouting, "Hell yeah! That's my woman!"

The Latina hadn't seen the hope in Quinn's eyes as she watched her on stage with tears tracking down her face. She knew she deserved what she had gotten, but she had hoped that maybe Santana would see that she truly hadn't meant to cause any more trouble. The blonde's face collapsed into sobs as she watched one of her oldest and now non-existent best friends throw imaginary punches in the air while the rest of the teenagers joined in on her celebration. Quinn took their jeering as her cue to leave and as lame as it was, she left out of the doors where Rachel had just put on quite a show.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Across the hall in the bathroom, Rachel was head down and glaring at her reflection in a mirror, her mottled hand being soothed by the cool edge of the sink basin. When the door flew open she fully expected to see Santana hot on her heels, but a wave of déjà vu hit her when Quinn rushed in instead. Although that was about as far as the déjà vu went because seeing the blonde enter the bathroom was nothing like it had been the previous week. She was no longer smug and conniving, but upset and completely devastated.

"Just perfect…" Quinn breathed in a quiet, cynical manner after noticing Rachel's presence. Turning around, she went to exit to find a better hideout.

"Wait!" Rachel barked out, sounding more stern and domineering than she ever meant to be or even knew she could be. She squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath, trying to will her lingering anger away so that she could speak level-headedly. Then, she opened her eyes to study her reflection some more. Being understanding was a quality that she prided herself on and she knew that just like Santana – someone who was so mild when given a chance to be understood – Quinn was probably much the same. And although Rachel should have been the very last person to want to give Quinn a chance, she also knew that she was above being petty like most of her peers. So eventually, she just simply said, "You have as much right to be here as I do…"

The blonde was ready to continue walking out the door when something stopped her – the realization that she had just been handed an opportunity to make things right. It took her moment to weigh the opportunity's worth, but in the end she let the door swing shut again and then sat down with her back against it. Letting Rachel see her in her current state was better than the entire school.

"You got me back," Quinn said, her voice low and congested from the tears she was still fighting. "Santana made it known just how great she thinks you are and then everyone cheered. It was completely humiliating, so congratulations," she finished. Her caustic demeanor was present but beginning to fade.

"Quinn…" Rachel began, her tone one of gentle warning. She ran a hand through her hair to push the long layers away from her face; she was tired of looking so predatory. "I never wished any humiliation or misfortune on you. I think you brought that upon yourself when you stopped caring about your friends in favor of high school fame. This goes beyond Santana and I, it was happening long before us."

The blonde nodded as she looked down to her lap and played with a pleat in her skirt. "I can't deny that and I won't…you're right."

Rachel nodded as well. There was really nothing left to be said but since Quinn was blocking the door and Rachel didn't have the heart to ask her to move, she followed her lead and sat down in front of the row of sinks.

"Santana used to be different, you know…"

The brunette's head snapped up to look at Quinn, distracting her from looking at her open hand. She could still hardly believe that she had actually slapped someone. Especially since that someone was Quinn Fabray and they were now sitting in a bathroom together. It was uncertain as to why it was happening, but Rachel had already decided that if Quinn wanted her to be the one she would open up to then she would let her. "How so?" she questioned.

"She used to be so open, so happy and just smiling all the time," Quinn told her with the subtlest of smiles, yet her brows pinched together as if she was pained. "She was still stubborn Santana…but just different."

"She can still be like that when she's comfortable," Rachel pointed out. She may have decided to be nice to Quinn but she wasn't going to sugar coat anything for her. Quinn didn't know Santana anymore and Rachel wouldn't let her think that she did.

"I know," Quinn stated honestly. "Especially when she's with you." Apparently during the weeks that she had been plotting against Santana she had also been noticing just how much happier and content she was as well. "That's why I wanted to apologize – for Santana's sake. I know we're not friends but she and I used to be. That was until I forgot how to even be a friend after her mom died…"

Rachel was staring hard at the unknowing girl sitting not far away from her and studying every shift of her face. Normally, she excelled in reading people but Quinn was an exception. It was easy to assume the blonde was unhappy just from the way she spoke about her dead friendship, but Rachel figured that her unfeeling attitude also stemmed from a culmination of reasons. Probably most of or all of which she would never even know about.

"So, I'm sorry, Rachel…" The softly spoken words pulled Rachel out of her thoughts of why Quinn was the way she was and she listened intently. Not only had she used her actual name, but she had said it while looking directly into her eyes and letting her vulnerability show. "I'm truly and deeply sorry for what I did. You and Santana are happy together – I can tell – and you don't deserve any interference from me. It was all so stupid and selfish, and truthfully I really do want her to be happy. So, I'll leave you alone and let you take care of her like I couldn't…"

The words were cryptic and confused Rachel, but that could only be expected from a walking enigma like Quinn.

_If they had been a few years older and in a different situation, Quinn and Brittany would have probably found some irony and humor in their best friend having holed up in a closet. But in the afternoon following Cristina Lopez's funeral there was no reason to joke or laugh. _

_ Santana had been lying on the carpeted floor of the walk-in closet for hours, curled up on her side since Brittany's parents had dropped the three of them off after leaving the cemetery. Her head was rested on the sleek black coat that her mother had been wearing at the time of the accident. After the jagged cubes of glass had been shaken out it was tossed into the closet and forgotten by her father, but not by her. It was the very last thing her mother had worn, it still smelled like her and if Santana tried hard enough she could almost imagine that it was her._

_ In one of her hands she tightly clutched a familiar bottle of perfume as if it was her only lifeline. Every so often she would spritz the coat beneath her head, but each time she did it forced out a new wave of tears. She wasn't sure if she was crying because she desperately missed her mami or because with each new spray of perfume the coat began to smell more like a department store and less like the woman it had belonged to. _

_ The setting was mostly calm and somberly serene – it was also dark with the exception of a sliver of light from the door being ajar – but Quinn felt anything but. She was on edge trying to think of a way to make her best friend feel better and frustrated to know that there probably wasn't one. Throughout the time of the trio's friendship there had always been a power struggle between Santana and herself. But now that her narrow, eleven-year-old world had been tipped upside down along with Santana's, Quinn knew it was her turn to be the leader of their little pack. _

_ "I know you miss her," Quinn whispered softly into the darkness, her hand creeping along the carpet to find the Latina's forearm and squeeze it tenderly. "But we'll always be here for you, San. Promise."_

_ "Yeah, promise. She told us to always take care of each other, and we always will," Brittany added._

_ Santana hadn't needed to hear the words to know they were true. The fact that her two best friends in the entire world had sat with her for hours without question was evidence enough. But hearing Quinn and Brittany say it did make her feel the slightest bit better, because Quinn was strong and Brittany was loving. And when they said something they meant it. Nothing could make them break a promise…except something they really didn't understand, something called the future. _

_ "We always will…" Quinn echoed._

"We didn't…or at least I didn't," Quinn said after relaying the short, yet heartfelt story.

Rachel couldn't keep her emotions in check after hearing about that tragic chapter of her girlfriend's life. Just imagining Santana having to go through that hurt enough, but knowing that she had actually lived through the situation crushed something inside Rachel. Although she was still somewhat upset with the blonde she had to appreciate her for telling the story. It was something that Santana probably would not have willingly spoken about on her own.

"That's why she has you now, though," the other girl said as her voice began to crack again and she pushed herself up off the floor to distract from it. "I was a horrible friend to her and now you get to have her. Again, I'm sorry." As soon as the last comment had left her lips, Quinn was rapidly hauling the door open, preparing to escape before a real breakdown could occur.

"Quinn!" Rachel called after her pleadingly, making her turn back with glassy eyes. "If you just…" she paused to huff in frustration, before eventually letting everything she was thinking spill out. "If you would just talk to her I think she would really like that. You've both made mistakes, but in the end you two aren't that different and you know that."

Quinn took in Rachel's genuine concern for she and Santana's friendship with nothing but regret and even gave her a small smile. In addition to losing friends, she had also missed out on so many others while trying to be the ruler of the school instead of just being herself. "I doubt she would want anything to do with me anymore and I don't blame her for that. She has every reason to feel that way."

Shaking her head sadly, Rachel continued her plea. "But I think you and I both know that what Santana truly wants and what she says can sometimes be two different things. Despite everything that happened…she misses you, I can tell."

"Yeah…" Quinn managed to choke out, eyes shining heavy with tears. And with that, she was gone.

Several minutes later Santana burst into the bathroom, panting and smiling brightly upon seeing her girlfriend. "I just ran out to your car, I thought you were gonna leave!" the Latina nearly laughed with glee. She crossed the expanse between them and crushed Rachel in a hug that made her tip toes leave the tiles. "That was so fucking rad! You went full Rachitude on her ass!"

Instead of agreeing or even scolding Santana for her foul language, Rachel held on as tightly as she could and pressed her face into her neck.

"Oh," Santana breathed out, somewhat taken aback by the fierce embrace. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rachel told her, thinking back to all she had gone through and everything she would be willing to go through for the girl holding her. "I just care about you so much…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

After the smack heard around McKinley, Rachel had been quiet and slightly withdrawn. Instead of spending time with Santana after school she simply admitted that she needed some time alone to think. Santana was a little bummed by Rachel's request to just take her home, but she was understanding of it too. Their lives had become chaotic when it came to school, so she couldn't blame her girlfriend for wanting some time to catch up at home.

_I wish I was with Rachel. I'm so bored, _Santana thought to herself while sighing out loud. Economics homework was a drag when there was no one to work on it with. _Screw Economics and screw ever thinking I wanted to marry an NFL player. My future wife is going to be a super rich Broadway star._

Since she just couldn't resist she picked up her cell phone and quickly forgot about ever having homework.

**Hows ur afternoon going so far? homewrk is lame! ps – i miss u ~ SaNtAnA**

**Fine, just listening to some Barbra in my room. How are you? P.S. I miss you too, of course! :) ~ BrightStar **

**I already told u hw is lame lol! im just sitting around, doodling our names inside hearts and stuff ~ SaNtAnA**

**Don't lie to me! :p ~ BrightStar**

**Im not! ;) ps – yes i am ~ SaNtAnA**

**Lying isn't cute, but you are. ~ BrightStar**

"What's gotten you so smiley?"

"Oh! Papi, you scared me!" Santana laughed as she shut her cell phone and set it on the table. "I didn't even hear you come in. Did you leave work early?"

Andres nodded as he hung up his coat and tossed his car keys onto the kitchen countertop. "Yep, work was slow so I figured I would come home before the twins got off the bus and get some stuff done around here. But you still haven't answered my question. Why have you been grinning like a fool since I walked in?" His warm smile made it apparent that he already knew the answer.

Santana bowed her head with a guilty giggle. "Um…I was doing homework, but then I started talking to Rachel."

He pointed a finger at her and clicked his tongue, before taking a seat at the table. "Thought so! You seem very happy lately and so do the girls."

"I am happy…" the Latina replied somewhat bashfully.

"Because of Rachel?" Andres asked, still smiling knowingly.

After a nonchalant shrug, Santana nodded and finally confessed, "Well…yes."

"I'm happy for you, San. Rachel is a wonderful girl, both intelligent and beautiful. Your mom would have loved her."

The comment made Santana's stomach flip with excitement, it gave her a sense of pride to know that her father approved of the girl she loved so much and thought that her mother would have loved her also. "Thanks, papi," she replied, holding contact with eyes that matched her own, eyes that were not bloodshot or hollow looking.

Since Santana's visit to the emergency room her father's routine was slowly beginning to shift. He had gone at least two days without drinking and Santana could definitely tell because by the third day his efforts came crashing down, and he came home stumbling drunk in the middle of the night. She was still proud of him though because he _was_ trying and judging by his early arrival he was on his way to climbing back up again.

"You're welcome," he answered back and then watched in amusement as his daughter begrudgingly resumed working on her homework. As he watched her, memories of years past ran through his mind. Of when his wife and daughter would sit at the very table he was seated at and yell at each other over second grade addition and subtraction problems. Of when Santana would get so mad that she would eventually sweep all her papers onto the floor, causing her mother to yell even more and for the night to end with one naughty little girl getting sent to her room. Now, that little girl was practically grown and a woman in her own right and as of late, that fact pained Andres immensely.

"You know, I never thought any of our lives would turn out like this…"

The simple statement made Santana stare at the pen poised in her fingers for a moment, before finally raising her head. Just the tone of her father's voice made her want to run. It was serious and she could suddenly tell what was coming. It was a conversation that had been five years in the making and the realization that it was finally about to happen made Santana feel that she still wasn't ready for it. She felt eleven years old again, young, innocent, and alone, and abruptly trying to cope with her mother's death.

Andres twisted his hands together on the table's surface, studying his fingerprints since he could no longer look at his daughter. "I had never thought of what it might be like to not have your mother here with me and when…" he paused to clear the knot from his throat that had started to tighten his words, "and when she died, I just didn't know what to do. What was I supposed to do for three little girls who had just lost their mother when I didn't even know what to do for myself?"

Santana felt like she couldn't breathe and just continued to stare at him, hoping she didn't need to speak because she didn't think she would be able to anyway.

"That night in the hospital, I held her hand and I begged her not to leave me, to not leave her babies behind. She wasn't even gone and I was already falling apart," he explained, and then sighed heavily and wiped at the corners of his eyes.

A tear dripped from Santana's chin onto the homework she had now truly forgotten. "Papi…"

"Come here, mija," Andres managed to choke out. Santana was up within seconds and sitting on his lap, burying her face into his neck so he could rest his cheek against the top of her head. "I'm so sorry…_so sorry_. I wish there was some way to bring her back, I wish I could be better for you."

"All you have to do is try," Santana whispered shakily. "Just try…"

"It hurts, San." He confided in his daughter and tenderly pet her back, providing her with some comfort but not as much as she was unknowingly giving in return. "It hurts so much to look at you and your sisters and see _her_. But especially you, you've grown up to be so beautiful and everything you do reminds me of her. The way you talk and smile and laugh, it's just like her and it kills me."

Santana was biting her lip and attempting to not break down. Rachel had been completely correct when she had told her that her father was probably hurting as much as she was and while she knew it was true in the back of her mind, it was entirely different to hear him actually admit it. "Don't let it make you sad, let me help you remember her," she pleaded. She couldn't think of anything else to say and she hoped it was enough. Aside from changing everything about herself to be nothing like her mother – which she gladly would have done if it was possible – it was the next best thing she could offer. "Because I need you, and Noelia and Isabel need you too."

With a nod, Andres pulled her in even closer. "I love you so much, Santana and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise. I want you to always know that I love you and your sisters, and that I'm proud of you. I didn't mean anything I said that morning when we fought."

"I didn't mean it either," Santana cried, voice strained and no longer able to hold her emotions back. "I love you too."

After shedding tears for the woman they both had lost, Andres swept his own face clean and then brought Santana's up from his shoulder. He used his thumbs to carefully remove the moisture from beneath her dark eyes and wet lashes. "I wish you mother could see you now, she would be so proud of you," he said, continuing to put Santana back together by smoothing her hair back and tucking a stray piece behind her ear. "That's why I know that she wouldn't want me to waste anymore of the time I still have with you…so that's why I've decided to get help…"

"What?" Santana asked softly, not knowing if she had heard him correctly.

Leaning back a bit, Andres reached into the inner pocket of the charcoal suit jacket he had yet to take off and then pulled out a scrap of paper with a name, a phone number, and a 'best of luck' followed by another doctor's signature. "I don't want to miss out on anymore of my daughters' lives," he told Santana as he offered her the paper. "That afternoon you came to the hospital was a wakeup call for me. All I could think about was when I got the same call, only saying that my wife was in the ER. It scared me, because I don't ever want to lose you. So…I had one of my friends at the hospital suggest a place and I'm going to go away for a few days, and then I've already signed up for addiction counseling for when I return."

Santana was shell shocked. After everything they had been through it was finally – _hopefully_ – going to end. She wanted to scream with sheer happiness and tell her father how proud she was of him and how she would do anything to help him. But she was once again robbed of her ability to speak and she instead lapsed into sobs.

Andres smiled slightly and put her head down to his shoulder again, stroking her hair. "Shh, don't cry," he gently advised, even though he was close to doing the same. "This is a good thing, mija."

"I know," Santana nodded, while clutching at the lapel of his jacket like she would never let go. And maybe now that she had him back she wouldn't. "I know."

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Santana was on top of the world the next day at school and not even having to sneak into the Cheerios locker room to clean out her old locker was going to bring her down. When she had returned her uniform, she had placed the folded yet still blood stained garment on the floor in front of Coach Sylvester's office but was too weary to take her other things. Besides, running into the coach who despite having Nazi hunting parents was so Nazi-like could have been disastrous at that point.

Once the coast was clear, the Latina crept into the sweat and cheap perfume scented space. The door closed behind her and she continued walking as she looked back just to make sure it wouldn't open again. And in that short moment she ran headlong into another warm body.

When said body turned around to reveal none other than Quinn's stern looking face, Santana nearly jumped out of her skin. "Whoa, _shit!_" she cursed, swiftly stepping back and raising a forearm in defense.

"Shh!" the blonde hissed at her, causing instant confusion.

"Look, I didn't come to fight anymore. I'm just getting my stuff and leaving," Santana quickly explained.

Quinn shook her head at her like she just couldn't understand why she wouldn't shut up. "I didn't come to fight either and I'm doing the same thing. Now, shh!" She peeked her head around a wall to look into the main room, while the brunette hung back with a face screwed up in surprise and mystification. As floored as Santana was to admit it, she knew the Quinn in front of her – the playful, mischievous Quinn of their childhood.

"Come on," Quinn urged with a smirk, waving her hand forward before disappearing behind the wall.

Against her better judgment, Santana followed and she did it with an equally hinted smile. She was going to kick herself if Quinn was leading her into some type of trap, but it didn't feel like that. It felt like the old days of playing hide and seek in Quinn's gigantic, mansion of a house, hiding from Brittany as well as the much older and stricter Fabrays. She was half expecting the other bubbly blonde to pop out from behind something and shout, "Gotcha!"

When Santana rounded the corner and found Quinn simply beginning to pull the magnets and magazine clippings from the inside of her locker, she couldn't help but blurt, "What the hell is going on here?"

"I'm cleaning out my locker," the blonde answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I thought you were here to clean yours too."

"Um, _I am._ But why are you?"

Quinn shrugged and pulled a picture of herself, a brunette, and another blonde off the metal and set it on the bench between the rows of lockers. "Because I quit…or maybe I should say I quit before coach could kicked me off anyway." Santana cocked a brow and gestured with her hand for her to keep going. "I told coach what I did to you and about how I lied, and then I told her I was dropping out of cheerleading."

Silently impressed and utterly taken aback, Santana eventually just breathed out, "Wow...was she mad?"

Quinn just laughed. "Why do you think I'm sneaking around this awful place?"

Santana couldn't stop staring, but such was the fashion with the girl before her; one day she's trying to kill someone and the next she's laughing and being sweet as if nothing happened.

"Remember when coach had Cedar Point shut down for exclusive Cheerios use," Quinn questioned as she held up another picture, this one proof that sometimes the Cheerios were allowed to wear something other than their uniforms, although it was a rarity. In the photo, a Santana from two years earlier was laughing and being sandwiched between Brittany and Quinn, who were both leaning in to kiss her cheeks.

Stepping forward, Santana took the offered picture and smiled down at it. "I just mentioned this to Britt the other day," she said quietly. Although Santana wasn't going to admit that it had been during the time she was torturing her girlfriend with slushies. "Cedar Point, probably one of the least boring, half way exciting places in all of Ohio!"

Quinn chuckled at the dig at the uneventful state they lived in and then quietly asked, "Aren't you going to start cleaning your locker?" while looking down and away.

"Eh, well," Santana said slowly, before sitting down on the bench and showing her bandaged hand. "I've actually been trying to avoid lockers as much as possible these days."

It was meant to be a joke, but the other girl instantly realized what she was implying and her head dropped even lower. Backtracking, Santana said, "Sorry, that wasn't even your fault. It was _obviously _my own." She finished up the comment with an eye roll that Quinn didn't find to be very humorous either.

"Why did you do it anyway?"

"Because I was mad at you," the Latina began, her voice holding an edge of attitude. "Because I saw the look on Rachel's face and I thought I was going to lose her over something stupid like fighting with you. I thought I was going to lose her like I had already lost you and my mom and my dad." By the time she stopped speaking there was no more ferocity lacing her voice, instead there was a sad, teary quality in its place.

Quinn hadn't felt so much emotion since giving up Beth and suddenly she was in tears right alongside Santana. She knew how it felt to lose someone she loved; she actually knew how it felt to lose two people she loved. Fortunately, Santana hadn't suffered that loss when it came to Rachel.

"You really love her, don't you?" Quinn asked, although the answer was evident.

Santana huffed a laugh. "If only you knew how much, it kind of scares me actually."

"Don't be scared," Quinn said with a smile and then sat down next to the brunette. "Have you told her?"

"Not yet."

The blonde hesitantly reached over and picked up Santana's hand, giving it a squeeze that was friendly and gentle enough to not cause any harm to her already damaged finger. "You should tell her," she said. "You should always tell someone before it's too late."

The sudden interaction was confusing for Santana and before long her thoughts were forming into words. "I really miss you sometimes…"

"I miss you too." Quinn gave a giggle after revealing her similar sentiment, meant to lighten the mood before she started to reminisce. "How mad would your mom be if she saw us like this?"

"Oh, she would have definitely kicked our asses a long time ago…"

"_Ay dios mio! What are you three fighting about! I can hear you squawking all the way from the living room __**inside **__the house!_

"_Santana always wants to be the boss of everything!"_

"_Well, you're a little tattletale!"_

"_Why can't we all be the boss?"_

"_There's only one boss in real life! You're stupid!" Quinn shouted at Brittany, making her pout._

_With a shove, Santana shot back, "Britt isn't stupid, you are!" _

_An all out brawl would have began if it weren't for the older woman between them taking each girl by their arm and dragging them back towards the house. Cristina trusted Brittany to follow because she was the most well behaved of the three girls. In fact, sometimes she wished she could just keep the endearingly good natured little blonde and pawn devilish Quinn and her own demonic daughter off on some other parent._

"_Lucky for you three, I'm the boss," Cristina said as she walked with the two struggling little girls. "And the boss says everyone in the house for a time-out."_

"_This isn't fair!" Quinn whined. It was something she was infinitely good at; causing trouble and then whining about it to get out of trouble._

"_Too bad!" Cristina chimed without a care. After escorting them into the living room she lined them up in front of the couch. "Now, sit down." With Brittany in the middle they all sat down, but that arrangement wasn't going to teach them a lesson. "No, Britt, let San and Quinn sit together."_

"_I don't want to sit by her!"_

"_I don't want to sit by her either!"_

"_Well, I'm the boss and the boss doesn't care what you __**want**__ to do!" the eldest Latina said, then held her hands out with the palms up. "Now, put out your hands like this and then hold each other's hands."_

_ "What! No!" Quinn snapped and crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her hands in her sides. "I'll hold Brittany's hand but not hers!" she spat, jerking her chin towards Santana who was glaring fire and daggers at her mother. _

_ Since Quinn wasn't going to make the task easy, Cristina took her hand, put it into Santana's and clasped them together. "There, now you're all going to sit here and hold hands until you can't stand it anymore, until you're all smiling and laughing and you've forgotten about why you were even fighting. Is that clear?"_

_ She received no answer, but that was wholly expected. "Is that clear?" she repeated._

_ "Yes…" came two reluctant groans and one peppy exclamation._

_ As soon as their guardian left the room, Quinn was baring her teeth at Santana and squeezing her hand in a death grip, one that was being returned full force. _

_Brittany did it just because it seemed like fun. "If you squeeze hard enough you can feel little heartbeats!" she cleverly observed._

_When the other two girls took the time to slow down and stop competing they realized that Brittany was right. There were little heartbeats thumping between their fingers. _

"_Ew, it feels gross!"_

"_Ah, weird!" Santana laughed, rapidly pulling her hand away and shaking it around to make the strange sensation go away. Her mother walked back in the room seconds later, asking, "What's so funny? I thought you were mad at each other." _

_They all shrugged while shooting each other sly glances and impish grins. Cristina knelt down in front them and reached out to pat Brittany's head before speaking again. "You three are like sisters, you know that? And sisters aren't supposed to fight…well maybe you fight just a little, but still."_

_The girls giggled as little girls tended to do and Cristina rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Really though, you girls need to learn how to take care of each other. It's okay to not get alone sometimes, but then you always have to come back and take care of each other. You're just babies right –"_

_ "We're not babies!" Santana interrupted._

_ Grabbing her daughter's chin, she gave it a shake and finished, "You're just babies right now, but someday you'll understand…"_

"You mean she would have made us hold hands," corrected Quinn, causing them to both dissolve into laughter.

"Exactly," Santana meant to say in a voice stronger than the one that actually came out. Putting her head down, she pinched the bridge of her nose and finally felt the weight of the tension between she and her oldest friend break over her. "God, I'm really sorry…"

"No, I am," the blonde added quickly, before sweeping Santana into a hug and pressing her chin into her hair.

"I know a lot of stupid shit has happened since then, but I still love you. I still think of you as my best friend. Maybe we can't go back, but could we at least stop all this fighting?"

Quinn was a stoic force when she needed to be but with Santana in her arms she could feel her valiant efforts to stay strong weakening. She had been through so much in just two short years – gotten pregnant, had a baby, gave up the baby – and she did it nearly alone. She wouldn't even have enough fingers to count the times she had been pregnant and wishing that she hadn't pushed Santana away so that she could lay her head in her lap and just cry. It was times like those when Quinn's biggest mistakes had become clear to her.

There was no way to convey everything that she was feeling or wanted to apologize for. So, she simply whispered, "I love you too, San. You _are_ my best friend."

The fast approaching stomp of sneakers alerted them to another presence and before they could make a run for it Coach Sylvester was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and as ominous and fear inducing as ever. She narrowed her eyes and then shook her head in disapproval. "I see you two have made up and while that's all rainbows and butterflies for someone who cares…I don't! I fancy a sudden outbreak of lesbianism as much as the next gal, but I must request that you take your little love fest to whatever undisclosed locations you teenagers frequent these days and stop…tainting…_my…locker room!_"

"Not gonna miss that!" Santana panted after putting her things into her backpack at lightning speed and making a mad dash out to the hallway.

"Pshh, me either!" Quinn agreed as she caught up to her friend, linked their arms and rested her head on Santana's shoulder. "I've gotta go, but I want you to call me after you tell Rachel you love her. I already know she's going to say it back because I'm pretty sure that girl would do anything for you – I would know. I just want to hear your voice after she says it, you're going to be so happy and you definitely deserve it."

Santana felt herself alight with anticipation. Anticipation at the idea of finally telling Rachel that she loved her and at having Quinn open the lines of their friendship once again. Quinn had just said that she deserved to be happy but Santana truly couldn't figure out where all her fortune was coming from. Maybe she had finally built up enough good karma points to negate the bad ones, maybe planets were aligning somewhere in the universe, maybe her mother was watching over her. She couldn't be sure, but whatever it was she was more than thankful for it.

**Hope your brains didn't fall out after all that, I know mine did! Can you tell I'm slight Quick shipper! Anyway I have to recharge so I can start writing the best part of the whole story! Thanks for reading!**


	20. A First For Everything

**AN: OMG, you guys, I don't know what was up with me during this chapter, sorry it took forevs! I've been writing fics for like a couple years now and I usually don't get writer's block...well, let me tell you, it all caught up with me for this chapter! Anyway, I'll keep this short...this chapter is definitely rated M, so have fun with that! ;) I wanted it to be realistic for them so it's a little bit of awkward, sweet, raunchy, and humorous all rolled into one, and hopefully you guys like it! Thanks for being patient and for all of the reviews, alerts, and favorites for the last chapter! Enjoy! **

**I don't own Glee and btw, this is loosely edited and I'm running on 4 hours of sleep. I'll be going back to fix mistakes later!**

* * *

Chapter 20 – A First For Everything

_Three Weeks Later_

As the New Directions made their way back to Lima fresh off their win at Regionals, the bus windows were fogged with condensation from the rambunctious singing that had been taking place combined with the cold weather outside. It would seem that singing would be the last thing on any of the teenagers' minds after the endless rehearsals leading up to the competition, but such was the nature of Glee club. And at Rachel's insistence, everyone had agreed that a revival of a few of their older songs was in order for the ride home.

After finishing up "Don't Stop Believin,'" Rachel slumped forward over the seat she was standing behind, laughing and out of breath with Santana wrapped around her back doing the same. "Okay, everyone, I think I've reached my song quota for the night! It's time for a much needed and well deserved break…for all of us!"

The dynamic of the club had been changing over the past weeks. With Santana as their new star song writer and Rachel as their voice, they had also adopted them as the unofficial faces of their team. Somehow they just happened to be the perfect duo for the position. Whenever someone thought Rachel was being a little too self absorbed all they had to do was tell Santana, who would then relay the message in her own words. The result of the delivery of that message usually always ended with Rachel rolling her eyes and eventually breaking down into a smile for her girlfriend, followed by an inevitable kiss that made the rest of the teens make fake gagging noises. And whenever Santana got feisty with her attitude and Spanish curse words Rachel was there to calm her down and bring her back to speaking English.

"Damn, never thought I'd hear Miss Diva herself sayin' she's reached a quota…especially not one that involves sound coming out of her mouth," Mercedes said with a snap of her fingers.

"Hey now! You better watch yo'self!" Santana shot back. Although from the smiles on all three of their faces it was apparent that they were only teasing each other. Mercedes waved her hand in a shooing motion at the two other brunettes and then collapsed back into her seat, leaving them to do the same.

Santana sat sideways so she could rest her head against the window, her legs spread across the seat in a lazy fashion and her feet hanging out into the aisle. Rachel sat between her outstretched legs and used her chest as a pillow for her own head.

"We really kicked some ass tonight," Santana sighed while putting her arms around the small frame in front of her.

Rachel giggled and adjusted the blanket she had brought over their bodies. The bus rides to and from competitions had always been half the fun, but now that she had a snuggle buddy they were even better and she had been sure to plan accordingly. "For lack of a better phrase, yes, I would say we certainly did."

Across the aisle from them Quinn sat staring out the window, iPod glowing. She was the only one to exclude herself from the post-win festivities. Ever since voluntarily stepping down as the Cheerios captain she had been strangely quiet, opting to keep to herself and scribble away in her notebooks or read. It was just like the previous year when she had found herself outcast by her peers during her pregnancy.

Another blonde was cozied up to her side with her head on her shoulder as they shared the ear buds to listen to the music. Quinn hadn't always tolerated Brittany so well, but when she insisted on quitting cheerleading right along with her, Quinn realized where her loyalties should have always lied. Both Santana and Quinn had tried to get Brittany to stay on the squad but she reasoned that it just wouldn't be the same without her two best friends and that a break from cheerleading was perfectly fine with her.

"So…" Rachel drawled, as she played with the hands that were draped over her shoulders in front of her. She could tell that the girl behind her was close to dozing off by the way her fingers were practically lifeless. "If the twins are at my house for the night and your dad is still gone, then that means that we would have the house to ourselves if we didn't go to Brittany's sleepover, right?"

Santana didn't tense, but the way her breathing paused a moment before resuming its pattern indicated that she understood the message behind the question. "Yeah…I guess we would…"

While pulling the blanket tighter around them, Rachel closed her eyes and adjusted her head to lie more comfortably on Santana's shoulder. "I think we should just skip the sleepover then," she yawned, doing a wonderful job of covering her nervousness with nonchalance – that was if she was even feeling nervous.

Adrenaline was already beginning to pump through Santana and she could feel electric anticipation sparking in her stomach. She just loved how her girlfriend was able to fall asleep on her chest after just having revealed that they were most likely going to go all the way in the very near future, while she got to remain suddenly wide awake. She held Rachel's hands as she slept, brushing her thumbs along the soft skin while trying to tell herself to calm down. It wasn't any different from being with anyone else but at the same time it was, it was entirely different.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel felt jittery as she unbuckled her seat belt and hurried out of Santana's car. Without waiting for Santana, she headed for the trunk and popped it open to fetch the duffel bag she had packed in preparation for Brittany's sleepover – the sleepover they had politely withdrawn their RSVP to. Not that it really mattered though; once Brittany had gotten the gist of why they weren't coming she was all giggles and suggestive smiles.

"I can get that for you," Santana said as she caught up with Rachel and gave her a disarming smile. Their hands brushed together as Santana took the handle of the bag out of Rachel's grip, and unbeknownst to one another they each felt a new type of fire from the casual contact.

"Thanks," the petite brunette replied, then looked away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear just to occupy the hand that had just connected with equally warm skin.

Santana nodded, slamming the trunk closed and shouldering the bag while reminding herself to breathe. "Ready to go inside?" she asked, still wearing that soft smile as she extended a hand to lightly press upon the small of Rachel's back. She was painfully nervous but she wasn't completely useless and she would be damned if she let her girlfriend shiver in the chilled, late February air. On this night she was supposed to be the experienced one – the protector and the provider – and she wasn't going to let her own apprehensions get in the way of Rachel's comfort.

"Yes, let's," Rachel agreed a bit jumpily, before turning on the heel of the combat boots she was still wearing from their Regionals outfits. She walked ahead of a silent Santana until they reached her bedroom upstairs and it was only then that she realized how soothing the hand on her back had been. "Um…" she murmured, feeling uneasy and wishing she wasn't. Santana just faced her and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not quite sure of what she was supposed to do either.

"I'm just gonna take my boots off," the Latina finally said, as if she didn't announce it out loud then any sudden movement would frighten Rachel away. She knelt down on one knee to begin undoing the laces, but as she did Rachel could tell that her eyes were darting around as fast as her thoughts must have been.

After picking up her duffel from where it had been set just inside the door, Rachel headed for the en suite bathroom. She flipped on the light and then paused in the doorway. "Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Yeah…" Santana answered with a nod, fingers still tangled in boot laces. She was caught up in staring at the figure's silhouette and how the harsh lighting coming from the bathroom seemed to accentuate her tiny waist. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed how petite Rachel was before, it was just that she seemed so much more delicate now. It could have been due to the tight blue dress she was wearing. But Santana had a feeling that it had more to do with the fact that if everything went accordingly, she would get to measure the daintiness of that waist with her hands, bare and unobstructed by clothing. She couldn't be exactly sure about that, but she was sure that she needed to get her jaw up off the floor. "Yeah, anything…no problem."

Rachel didn't bother with replying, she just held eye contact for a few more seconds before shutting herself into the bathroom.

_Finally she cracks! I knew she couldn't keep that calm forever,_ Santana thought as she ripped her boots off, tossed them aside and then went to work on trying to tidy up her room in the next "few minutes." It wasn't terribly messy and it certainly wasn't anything Rachel hadn't seen before, but something told her that it wasn't appropriate for their first time to take place with a pile of dirty clothes strewn across the floor and the bed still rumpled from the previous night's sleep.

She heard the water that had been running in the bathroom turn off and swiftly tugged her sheets back up into place. _Damnit, I should've listened to mami all those years when she tried to get me to make my bed in the mornings. _She then fluffed the pillows and spritzed them with her perfume, not forgetting to dab a little on her neck, wrists, and in between her cleavage. _Nothing like the smell of perfume and pussy on the sheets…note to self: never repeat that to Rachel. Never!_

Once it was apparent that Rachel wasn't going to come out for a while longer, Santana rummaged through a drawer for the Zippo that Puck had left in her room years before so she could light the candles on her vanity and nightstand that she rarely ever used. _Yeeeeah! Pulling out all the stops tonight! Go, Santana, it's your birthday! Not really, but we 'bout to get our love makin' on like it's somebody's birthday!_

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Just on the other side of the door Rachel stood at the sink nearly having a nervous breakdown as she cleaned and filed down her fingernails. She left the water running and then turned it off for a while to make it seem natural. She didn't want Santana to know that she was covering the sounds of having to make up for her inadequacies in the category of lesbian sex protocol.

_I feel like Ms. Pillsbury, but the last thing I need is to give Santana a case of bacterial vaginosis after our very first time together. But, maybe she doesn't even want my fingers up…there. Maybe she doesn't prefer that. I don't even know what she prefers! We should have had a thorough discussion about this situation before we arrived at it. And I'm sure diagrams would have been useful too, maybe even a Power Point presentation. _

After vigorously washing her hands, Rachel splashed water on her face and then let it drip off as she looked into the mirror.

_Pull yourself together, Rachel! This is no different than any other performance you've given in your lifetime…wait, performance? I can't just perform, that would be like…like faking it! I can't fake it, but what if I have to! What if Santana isn't as good in bed as one would assume? She hid the fact that she didn't really have a breast augmentation, who knows what else she could be hiding. No! Enough! Everything is going to be fine! Santana is going to be wonderful, she's honest, gorgeous, passionate and – _

"Rach? Everything okay, sweetheart?" Santana called through the barrier between them after lightly knocking. "If you're having second thoughts don't worry about it, we can ju –"

"No, no! Everything is fine!" Rachel began calling back as she gave her hair a final tweaking and bit her bottom lip between her teeth to juice up her pout. "Everything is…" she trailed off when she swung the door open and took in the now shadowy room, dimly mood lit by the candles.

"Too much?" Santana questioned, seeing that her girlfriend's eyes were intense and focused.

Rachel shook her head in disagreement but remained straight faced as her gaze lingered over the candles, the bed and then eventually Santana. "No…" she answered simply, before making her way to the taller girl and reaching up to take her face into her hands. Santana closed her eyes and mimicked the action, placing her hands atop the ones on her cheeks. "You sounded amazing tonight."

"You sounded better," Santana insisted. Then, finally breaking into a smile, Rachel stood on her tip toes and leaned into Santana for support as she captured her mouth in a kiss. Their kisses and everything that went along with them had been anything but innocent for a while, but as Santana parted her lips to allow Rachel's tongue to sweep in she could tell that this kiss was different. It was a little more desperate and a lot more willing to push for what was to come.

The petite brunette kept their foreheads together after their mouths had parted and let her feet fall flat on the floor again; Santana dutifully bowed her head to keep the contact. Rachel's thumbs crept over Santana's cheekbones until they could trace the curved fringe of the false eyelashes that she usually applied every day, but especially for their performance. "You look ravishing tonight, as always," she said to the Latina, playfulness evident in her voice. "But you don't need these for me."

Santana smiled because she was growing confident enough to believe Rachel's sincere flattery and she bowed her head even further, silently giving permission to remove the lashes. With slow and measured movements, Rachel carefully peeled them away and then held them in the palm of her hand. "I've heard of wishing on one eyelash, but do you think we can wish on these too?"

Santana blinked her eyes a few times and then grinned widely. "As cheesy as it may sound, I couldn't wish for anything better than this."

"Ever the lady killer," Rachel whispered huskily, before pulling her down for another kiss. Hands gripped low on her hips and as their tongues delved deeper and eventually strayed to jaw lines and necks, those hands cautiously made their way up to the zipper of her dress.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Hiram Berry had always thought that he and his husband had the most energetic daughter imaginable, but that was before they had volunteered to babysit the Lopez twins overnight. After Rachel had explained the delicate situation in which Dr. Andres Lopez would be leaving town a few days before Regionals, they had immediately offered to entertain the young girls so that Santana could enjoy the night worry free. Noelia and Isabel had been more than pleased.

"Honey! We got a text from Rachel!" Hiram shouted into the living room as he took his cell phone from the kitchen countertop.

"You're gonna have to read it to me!" Leroy yelled back. "I'm kind of busy at the moment!" Busy consisted of Noelia hanging from his right bicep while Isabel held onto his left, giggling hysterically and kicking their feet as he lifted them from the floor.

Hiram entered the other room with his cell phone in hand and smiled in genuine amusement at the sight before him. The twins were honestly two of the sweetest little kids he had ever met and his husband was the oldest and biggest kid he had ever met, so putting the trio together resulted in lots of laughter and mischief. He also smiled because not only were the twins having a good time and getting the attention they were lacking, Santana was getting a well deserved break and a bit of normalcy in her teenage life.

"The text says…" he began, attempting to talk over the din.

**Hey dads and twins! We took 1****st**** place, you know what that means…NATIONALS! Love you all! XoXo! RachxSan ~ BrightStar**

"Can we have ice cream?" Noelia suddenly asked, either not having heard a word Hiram had said or choosing to completely disregard it in favor of sweets.

Leroy cocked a brow and continued to use the girls as tiny human dumbbells. "Would Santana give you ice cream this late at night, little chicas?"

Without even having to look at each other, they both shouted, "Yes!" when the true response should have been quite the opposite.

"No, she wouldn't!" Leroy laughed.

Although he was usually the stricter parent, Hiram didn't think he would be able to handle disappointing the twins and one night of ice cream sundaes and fun couldn't hurt, especially when it was unfortunately obvious that no other father in their life had paid them so much attention. "I think he's right, you two," he agreed, but then broke out into a wide grin. "But let's have some anyway!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel's fingers shook as they reached Santana's breastbone – attempting to unclasp the front closure of her strapless bra – and Santana couldn't help but find the manifestation of her nerves to be endearing. She was normally so unforgiving and sure of herself, even when she was being criticized or cut down for it. To see her fumbling over something so mundane made Santana feel not so silly for the butterflies fluttering in her own stomach. Ever since their dresses had been shed and with some giggling they had managed to awkwardly strip off their leggings, they had been staring at each other. In the end it was the smaller brunette who had made the first move.

Offering help, the Latina stopped Rachel's effort by taking her hands and kissing the back of each. Then, she guided Rachel into a kiss with one hand while the other got rid of the bra, causing it to fall to the floor without a sound. With her eyes closed and trying to concentrate on their mouths, it took her a moment to find one of Rachel's hands. But when she did she tentatively guided it to her chest, moving it to fully palm her bare breast and pebbling nipple.

As Santana sighed from the sensation of warm skin meeting chilled, Rachel moaned into the kiss. It was a sound made high in her throat, almost like a sound made out of fear or surprise. "It's okay if you're nervous," Santana quietly admitted, petting her girlfriend's cheek as they affectionately bumped noses. "I'm nervous too."

"Alright," Rachel breathed out, just barely touching the silky flesh her hand cupped. When she finally allowed herself to concentrate on feeling she could detect the truth in the other girl's words. Santana wasn't just saying that to put her at ease, she really was nervous and her heart was beating a fierce rhythm against her palm to prove it.

"Touch me," Santana softly urged. After a short while another hand came to rest on her chest and just as her head was beginning to fall back and her eyes started to flutter, Rachel asked, "Why are we so nervous?"

"Huh?" The Latina suddenly felt cold and a little hurt when her girlfriend removed her hands and brought her back from the haziness she was just starting to settle into. She tried to tell herself that Rachel's hesitance wasn't due to her body or any of the other insecurities that constantly bounced around in her head. Biting her lip, Santana studied the girl in front of her and then ran a fingertip over her collarbone and down her arm to grasp her hand. "Just…just stop thinking and let me take care of you. Please, Rach, let me give this to you."

Rachel nodded her head, but looked down to the floor. "I shouldn't be so nervous though. I trust you and I shouldn't feel like this…"

"Well, what do you feel like?"Santana asked, changing direction as she used her fingertip again but this time ran it down the midline of Rachel's stomach. The touch caused an instinctive gasp and the tensing of muscle.

"Out of control, out of character, overwhelmed, I don't know!"

Chuckling lightly, Santana stepped forward and pulled the smaller girl into her body. She wrapped her arms around her torso and soon she was finding the hooks and eyelets of her bra, while whispering, "This is the part where I tell you that you're talking too much and that we should be gettin' our mack on. And also…I think this is how it's supposed to feel."

As pressuring as the comment may have sounded it didn't make Rachel feel pressured at all. In fact, it made her smile against Santana's shoulder. It was evidence of the chemistry and playfulness between them and most importantly, it was evidence that Santana was feeling the same.

"Maybe you're right…" Rachel admitted, raising her hands to smooth up and down Santana's back and into her hair.

"Oh, you know I'm always right," Santana cockily teased as she continued to fiddle with the bra closure. "This damn thing," she mumbled, making Rachel giggle into her neck. "I'm no better at this then you are."

"Like a virgin," the petite brunette quietly sang into her ear.

Santana gave a short laugh and shook her head as the bra finally joined hers on the floor. "No," she whispered, lowering her head to kiss downward along Rachel's shoulder and chest to eventually lave her tongue over a peaked nipple. "But I wish."

Rachel inhaled sharply and gripped the back of Santana's head, making her smirk against her skin and keep up her ministrations. "Wish what?" Normally, she was more quick-witted but with the brand new sensations being elicited within her she could hardly focus.

"I wish I was a virgin for you," the Latina admitted, raising her head and standing at her full height again. Her hands remained on Rachel's small breasts, cupping and massing gently. She smiled softly as she watched her face, eyes moving rapidly beneath eyelids and her mouth parted slightly.

"That's so sweet, Santana, I wish that too," Rachel managed to say after teaching herself how to form words with hands that weren't her own touching her body. "But can we lie down before I fall down?"

"Yes," Santana laughed, taking one of her hands and leading her towards the bed. She stripped back the comforter and top sheet, and then gestured for Rachel to get in first. After she had lied down, Santana knelt beside her on the mattress and placed a hand over one of her bent knees. She moved to lie on top of her but then stopped short. "May I?" she asked.

"You may," Rachel smiled, opening her legs to cradle Santana's waist between them as she moved over her. "You're so warm…"

"You are too," Santana said shyly, and then hid her face in Rachel's neck. If Rachel was overwhelmed, then Santana was equally so. Everywhere their soft skin pressed together – thighs, stomachs, arms, cheeks – felt like it was buzzing with overloaded sensations. "You're so gorgeous, I-I just can't even…" she stammered from her hiding place. "Sorry if I'm staring."

"Should I be apologizing then too? Because you're beautiful beyond compare, Santana, truly," Rachel told her. Then, she worked her hand between their bodies to mimic the way Santana had caressed her breasts and nipples earlier. She toyed with one, carefully rolling it between her thumb and the side of her palm, not yet aware of how much was too much. But she felt Santana push further into her hand and took it as a positive sign.

At that moment, their emotional roles were reversed in the situation. Rachel should have been the one being coaxed into security by Santana, but she had always been secure with herself. It was her girlfriend who was sometimes uncomfortable in her own skin and she hoped that someday she could make that unsure feeling go away. She wanted to make Santana feel just as beautiful as she knew her to be. She wanted to show her that she deserved to be kissed and coddled and fawned over just because. Maybe it wouldn't be that very night, but someday Rachel was determined to make it happen.

"I'm glad you didn't do anything to change yourself." Santana just hummed in agreement to the words and rolled her body a little, trying to find more contact. "I love everything about you, exactly as it is…"

And there was that 'L' word again, making Santana's heart thump into her throat and her brain scream words that she was for some reason still too wary to say out loud."Thanks, babe," she whispered instead, lifting her head to look into bottomless brown eyes. "I'll never think of doing that again."

"Good," Rachel said with a smile, before bringing Santana's face forward to take her in a kiss. She wasted no time on closed mouth kisses and let their tongues meet to taste and explore. Santana groaned in both surprise and pleasurable pain when she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, biting none too gently before pulling at it. Not to be outdone, the Latina tickled the tip of her tongue against Rachel's, daring her to extend it further. And when she did, Santana caught it between her teeth and pulled it into her mouth so she could suck on it teasingly.

"Caught ya," Santana grinned down at the girl beneath her, while appreciating the image of her hooded eyes and mouth still open with tongue retreating back.

Rachel could only mirror her grin and toss her head sideways on the pillow. Santana accepted the invitation and kissed, licked, and nipped down her exposed neck until she reached her chest again. This time she grew bolder in her actions and sucked a little harder at one of the girl's nipples while her fingers tended to the other. Rachel squirmed and released breathy sighs as Santana switched sides, blowing cold air against wet skin before she did.

Before long Santana's tongue was trailing around Rachel's belly button and there was a hand rested on top of her head. Even through panties, she could smell Rachel and it reminded her of just how much she loved women or more specifically one certain woman. She hooked her fingers in the material and began to pull it away as she kissed lower. She had been dying to do this for her girlfriend for the longest time and she was finally getting her chance. After straightening up to kneel on her knees, she tossed the panties on the floor and lifted one of Rachel's toned legs onto her shoulder.

"What are…don't…" Rachel said, her voice somewhere between slight fear and uncertainty as she looked up at the girl above her.

Santana hadn't been expecting that; most girls went crazy for the particular act, herself included. Her face fell a little and with some confusion she simply asked, "Well…why?"

Rachel raised herself to lean back on her elbows, her brows coming together in a face of subtle repulsion. "Because it's…I don't know. Won't it taste strange? It can't be sanitary."

The naivety in her girlfriend's novice words made Santana smile down at her and then lie on top of her again, moving in to kiss her softly. "No, it tastes good…I like it. You just have a lot to learn, baby girl," she rasped against her lips. Rachel could practically feel her pupils dilating as a surge of arousal shot through her; one moment she had thought it would be strange and the next Santana made it sound like the sexiest thing ever.

"Here, give me your hand," Santana said. Then once she had it, she separated Rachel's index finger from the others, brought it to her lips and swallowed it to the second knuckle. The petite brunette's eyes widened as she watched her finger disappear into Santana's mouth only to reappear moments later. Rolling to the side, Santana placed the hand on Rachel's flat stomach.

Silently, with eyes locked, they both guided her hand downward. Santana gave it one more purposeful nudge when it reached low enough and Rachel realized what she wanted her to do and obeyed. Santana wanted to look down, but opted to bite her lip in anticipation and watch the smaller girl close her eyes with a light sigh.

When she couldn't stand it anymore, the Latina grabbed the wrist she had been previously hanging on to and brought the hand up between their mouths, just inches apart. Slowly, she drew her tongue along the underside of Rachel's finger, making her hiss out her breath. They were so close that they could each hear Santana's tongue licking across the skin before she fully wrapped her mouth around it.

Santana looked into her girlfriend's eyes for approval and then pled, "Kiss me," after finishing her highly erotic display.

Rachel hesitated for only a second and quickly gave in, leaning forward in search of full lips. She couldn't doubt something when it was made to look so good. A moan escaped her throat when Santana forced her tongue into her mouth, not giving her the chance to back out when in the end she knew she would like it. By the time Rachel wrenched her head away for breath, she had already decided that the taste of herself on Santana was definitely something she could get used to. It wasn't unpleasant, just different and incredibly arousing.

"Now, don't worry," Santana stated deftly, while touching Rachel's cheek and wearing a reassuring smile. Again, she slithered down the body below her, pausing to lavish attention on every freckle and highlight from the glowing candles that she found, and then lifted both deceivingly long legs over her shoulders without protest. Laying her cheek on Rachel's inner thigh, she began her work tracing her fingertips up the back of her legs, around her knees and down the front of her thighs to play between her hipbones. Once more, a hand tangled through her hair and she felt a sense of pride swell in her chest; if Rachel was holding her like that then it could only mean that she needed her.

"San?"

"Yeah?" Santana answered, making eye contact as she kissed her lower stomach. The petite brunette opened her other hand where it laid beside her on the sheets and Santana snaked one of her own up to weave their fingers together. "Okay?"

Santana took the subsequent nod as her cue to move on and dipped her head to kiss Rachel's pubic bone, instantly loving the way she wiggled and mewled in response. She repeated a few variations of the same just because it was so fun to tease out the reactions and then caught Rachel majorly off guard by suddenly licking a path from her entrance up to her clit. The resulting cry made the Latina hum with delight as the continued to draw tight patterns with the tip of her tongue.

"Santana…" Rachel breathed heavily, her chest rapidly rising and falling while her hand clenched glossy hair.

"Hmm…" Santana murmured, kissing her clit and applying delicate suction as she pulled her mouth away. She started to lose focus as she took the time to study her girlfriend, all swollen dark pink and smooth wetness. She traced the narrow strip of closely shaven hair with her nose and then kissed it lightly. Her brain was beginning to run on auto-pilot, wanting to find, touch and taste more, but she had to remind herself to be slow and gentle. Everything she wanted to do would cause one more new emotion and sensation for Rachel, and the night wasn't about just going through the motions. It was about taking the time to explore. It was about introducing Rachel to just how good she could make her feel and more importantly, to how much she loved and worshipped her.

Licking the pad of her forefinger, she used it to gently circle the small bud in front of her, watching as it jumped in response to her touch. She then licked her finger clean, lost in drinking in the other girl with her eyes. She knew she had Rachel spread out before her and that she could take more if she wanted, but she just couldn't bear to let any of her go to waste – she wanted to have it all.

"What…what's wrong?" Rachel asked, straining her neck to peer down at the face between her legs. "Why'd you stop?"

Realizing that she had Rachel suspended in a vulnerable position, Santana switched her touches to soothing instead of explorative. As she leaned forward a little she smoothed her hand from hipbone to sternum, where she then used it to guide Rachel back down against the pillows. "There's nothing wrong, you're just so beautiful. Just relax…" she advised, and a soft understanding passed between them before the petite girl nodded.

While they kept their eyes trained on each other, Santana extended her tongue downward, using the tip to part Rachel's folds before languidly letting the back massage at her clit. The subtle shift in Rachel's face could be seen as her lips went from being parted to closing as her jaw clenched. Seeing Santana's piercing, lust-driven eyes gazing at her so intensely combined with the molten touch of her tongue was just too much. She watched her girlfriend's tongue as it glistened and then disappeared against her body a few more times, and then she couldn't do anything else but groan and let her head drop back in surrender.

With Rachel's apprehensions finally out of the way Santana was free to showcase her talents. Every new stroke, angle, and naughty message that she spelled out against Rachel's clit made the hand in her hair pull tighter and tighter, until finally the strands were pulled painfully taut from her scalp.

As Santana sucked velvety flesh into her mouth, Rachel arched her hips closer and breathed out, "This is _divine…_"

And if the Latina's mouth hadn't been too preoccupied to laugh, she would have. She should have known that the most talkative girl she had ever met in her life would be vocal in bed as well. But in the way she considered it, if Rachel was still able to talk then she wasn't doing her job correctly. Readjusting her grip, she pushed her shoulders into the backs of Rachel's thighs, gaining the leverage to pull her hips up while further spreading her legs.

With a stiffened tongue Santana dipped in and out, tasting as deep as she could while relishing the shaky exhales and pitch-perfect cries that resulted. The calves hanging over her shoulders crossed over her back and twitched of their own accord, much like the hips between her hands were bucking. When legs began quivering steadily and moans died off to quick breathy exhalations, Santana knew that Rachel was close. And as much as she would have loved for Rachel to come with her tongue buried inside her, she also knew that there would be more times for that later. This night she wanted to watch her face give way to pleasure.

Suddenly, there was a sucking noise as Santana broke her contact and righted herself, clumsily tugging and pulling at her panties to push them down her thighs and kick them off her feet. "Sorry," she gasped as she laid down between Rachel's legs again, hastily seeking her mouth to bring them together in a messy, slippery kiss. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again amidst hurried presses of lips, teeth, and tongue. "I know you were close…but I just want to be able to kiss you when you come." Rachel could only whine in response to such a statement, and she wasn't being given enough time to form words in between having her mouth ravished anyway. "I just want to be able to see you…"

The way in which she had to forcibly hold her girlfriend away to catch her breath was sexy, but when Santana continued to fight the hand at her shoulder to keep pushing forward, it turned Rachel on all the more. She pulled a strand of hair away from Santana's chin where it was clinging to the moisture there and then kissed the same spot, cleaning it away.

"God, Rachel…" Santana said in response, her voice low.

Rachel purred as she continued to kiss her jaw and suck at her chin, while at the same time she slid the hand on her hip around to rest between her thighs and accompanied it by a hushed, "Go ahead."

The move was meant to be coy, but instead it brought Santana back to reality. "Okay," she nodded, cupping Rachel and just barely letting her fingertips wade into wet heat. "Okay…if you're ready. You have to tell me if I'm hurting you though."

"I'll be fine," the petite brunette said as she arched her back.

"Promise you'll tell me," Santana insisted, setting their foreheads together so that her gaze couldn't be dodged. Her fingers were already beginning to wander, pushing in just the slightest bit and then retreating.

Rachel couldn't help but smile and bite her lip shyly. She had never had someone tend to her so fiercely before. "Promise…"

It almost seemed as if Santana breathed a sigh of relief and she then closed her eyes, placing feathery soft kisses to Rachel's temple. She wanted so badly to finally be with her girlfriend, but knowing that she had to cause even any small amount of unpleasantness made her stomach roll.

"It's okay, San," Rachel whispered, petting the Latina's tense back in a calming gesture. "I know you'll be gentle, it's alright…"

"'Kay," Santana conceded. "Just tell –"

"I will." Rachel found either side of Santana's face with her hands, held eye contact just long enough to make it meaningful and then kissed her soundly. She inhaled suddenly, sucking the breath away from Santana as cautious digits made their way lower. And when a single finger entered her she practically whimpered, while Santana softly groaned her appreciation for being able to sink knuckle deep into such warmth.

"How's that feel?" Santana asked, voice ragged like she was struggling to keep herself in check. She had snaked an arm beneath the shoulders below hers and she held the back of Rachel's head with her hand, making sure that their faces were close as she spoke. "Do you want another one?" Newly filed nails clenching and unclenching her bicep in a staccato pattern were the only answer she received.

Despite her body's obvious readiness for the act, Rachel could feel every inch of Santana's finger as it rhythmically pressured its way in and then slowly dragged back out, and it left her speechless. She couldn't quite comprehend much between that heavy feeling and the hot breath that was making her ear and neck feel dewy and sticky. Finally, after somewhat adjusting to the feeling of sharing her body with someone else, she nodded her head in acquiescence.

Santana carried out the action even slower than the first, but that didn't keep Rachel from gasping and shuddering when a stinging sensation pricked at her. "I'm sorry, baby," she told her, nuzzling her cheek with her nose. Stilling her hand, she used only her submerged fingertips to massage in delicate circles.

Rachel shook her head in dismissal and then pushed it back against the pillows, making her chin jut as she flexed her hips upwards. Santana was hanging on those small movements – the tiny crease in her brow that carried all of her tension and subconscious desire for more, the way her bangs laid in disarray, just every detail that had been taken for granted until then.

Upon opening her eyes, Rachel gave her girlfriend the barest hint of a smile and ran a hand through her hair, holding the tresses away from her face; the poor girl looked both terrified and awestruck. Rachel oftentimes had to wonder how different Santana's life would be if she showed her tender qualities outside of privacy, but she also doubted how special those qualities would be if they were shared with everyone. For now, she would savor Santana's selflessness and too gentle touches and keep them as her own.

"You can move," Rachel whispered up to her, trying to move her own hips to satisfy the instinctual urges she was feeling.

"Show me," the Latina whispered back, while withdrawing her fingers just the slightest. Soon there was a hand covering her own and she couldn't be sure if the choked moan that resulted from their hands beginning to move together was hers or Rachel's. "This is okay?" she asked, just to be sure that the slow rhythm they were setting was alright.

"Mhmm…" Rachel murmured as she let her head fall to the side, hoping that Santana would keep nibbling on her ear like she had been earlier.

"This feels –" Santana couldn't comprehend what she was feeling because too many sensations were happening at once. Also, the sudden pressure of Rachel delving fingers into her core cut off any words she had been forming and turned them into a shaky hiss. "Fuck, Rach, so good…_you _feel so good."

Using the pad of her thumb, Santana slowly began circling Rachel's clit while continuing to work her fingers. With the like being done to her she was afraid that things would end too quickly for her and she was a definite believer in ladies first, especially if that lady was her girlfriend.

"Deeper." The request surprised the Latina and she almost didn't comply, but as she looked down at Rachel's blown pupils and the hungry expression on her face she decided that it was time to stop playing nice – for both their sakes. A rough grunt tore from her as she quickened the thrust of her fingers, prompting Rachel to do the same.

From below, the petite brunette watched in awe as her girlfriend's face twisted while her back arched and her hips rolled. The sweat on their skin was sticky between their bellies and Rachel could tell that she wasn't going to last much longer. Just watching Santana ride her hand was enough to bring her to the edge, the memory of her tongue and the knuckles rubbing deliciously inside her was the final push.

"_Santmphh…" _The moan that escaped her was swallowed by a bruising kiss and Rachel could hear her heart beating in her ears as her muscles tensed around Santana's fingers. Through the chaos and the haze, she couldn't figure out which was better – her own orgasm or feeling the beginnings of Santana's. It all made for a sensual combination.

When the kisses became too much, Rachel wrenched her head away for breath while Santana kept moving, impaling herself again and again. Although her body was thrumming, she was suddenly exhausted as well and all she could really do was watch as Santana's eyes rolled back in her head and her loose hair tossed against her shoulders as she worked herself into a frenzy.

After adjusting one of her arms to wrap around Santana's waist, Rachel repositioned her hand to rub over her clit, instantly making her react.

"Yeah, right there! Oh, fuck, don't stop!" Santana called, her voice sounding much higher and strained than it usually did. Her face, with her eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched into a snarl, was one of intensity and agitation. It was like she was lost in her own thoughts and concentrating too hard. "Please, don't stop…"

"Look at me," Rachel urged, not stopping the thrusting of her fingers, but grasping the Latina's jaw to focus her attention. When their eyes met, Santana's expression seemed pained and desperate like she needed something that she just couldn't verbalize. "I won't stop, I'm right here, Santana."

She panted through her teeth, held Rachel's sincere gaze for as long as she could and then tossed her head back, coming with a sharp cry. The rocking motion of her body lost its pattern and became uneven with tremors before she eventually collapsed, spent and whimpering and rapidly gasping against Rachel's lips.

Each of their faces was held by the other's hands, not willing to let one another stray. But while Rachel's hand was tender on a warm, flushed cheek, Santana's hands were more tenacious. She held Rachel's forehead tightly and unwaveringly against hers, as if she might disappear if she let go. Rachel didn't mind in the least though, her girlfriend could lie above her squishing her cheeks and heaving for breath any time she wished, because seeing such a vulnerable side of her was something that she would never tire of.

Gathering Santana's hair up, Rachel pulled the sweaty, black strands away from the sides and back of her neck to help her cool off. She fanned her hand beside their heads, letting the subtle shift of the air kiss their overheated skin. Santana mewled her appreciation and hid her face against Rachel, who then gently blew along her neck to cool her further.

Distracted by her simple task, it wasn't until hot liquid began running down her shoulder that Rachel realized that Santana was trembling. She pulled the comforter higher over her, asking, "Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

Santana could only breathe heavily and shake her head in disagreement. A sob bubbled up in her throat and threatened to escape, but when she held it back it resulted in a choked sound instead.

Fortunately, they had somehow always had a silent understanding of each other and Rachel knew exactly what the girl hugged closely to her was feeling. She could feel it too. "Shh," she murmured, kissing Santana's forehead where she could reach and massaging the nape of her damp neck in a soothing fashion. "Shh…"

Already drowsy and being lulled further by the comfortable weight lying on top of her, Rachel let herself linger just at the edges of sleep. Where all sounds aside from Santana's softening breathing left her and her mind lazily processed the heady scent of perfume and sex.

After still, peaceful minutes had passed Santana lifted herself onto her elbows and made Rachel's eyes flutter open in return. "Sleepy?" the petite brunette asked, taking in her bleary eyes. Santana nodded wordlessly and rubbed their cheeks together, drying the few tears that had been on her own. "Are you alright?" she questioned further.

"Yeah…" Santana sighed and then smiled shyly, sounding much more satisfied and content than she had appeared moments before. "Yeah, I'm good…are you?"

"Perfect," Rachel replied, smiling as well. The candlelight caught the remaining moisture shining on Santana's lashes and she used her fingertips to wipe it away. She knew that Santana probably wasn't as "good" as she claimed to be, but she also knew that the tears that had been shed were mostly happy ones and because of that she was willing to let it go.

They silently studied each other for a long while, touching noses and giving chaste kisses. Then, with a groan of disappointment at having to move, Santana shimmied away on her stomach to blow out the candles. When she came back to the middle of the bed Rachel found her hand, rolled over and tugged her into a spooning position.

"So, was it everything you hoped for?" Santana asked in between pressing kisses to the back of the smaller girl's neck.

"Mmm, yes…" The pause before the answer made it obvious that Rachel was near falling asleep. "And I'm glad it was with you."

At that, Santana couldn't help but to squeeze her girlfriend tighter in her arms. "Thank you," she said, then sighed, "I can't believe I cried, sorry…"

"Santana," Rachel lightly scolded, giving the hand she held a jerk. "You know it's more than okay. Actually, it was cute."

"Well," the Latina began, hesitating before going on in a more serious tone. "I just want you to know I wasn't upset or anything…just a little overwhelmed by how it felt."

"Which was good, I hope," Rachel teased, playfully sinking her teeth into one of her girlfriend's fingers where it lied close to her mouth.

In retaliation, Santana nipped Rachel's shoulder and released a low, throaty chuckle. "So good…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"There, get your snack on," Rachel grumbled sleepily as she yanked open the refrigerator, filling the kitchen with a light that was way too bright for her just woken eyes. An hour or so after they had both fallen asleep together, her much needed rest had been interrupted by Santana practically devouring her neck.

Luckily, it was a welcome act and Santana continued to do it as they stood together in the kitchen – one behind the other – wrapped in the sheet they had dragged from the bed. "A lady's gotta get her snack on after gettin' her mack on, Rach," the Latina explained, tugging at the girl's ear with her teeth and exaggeratedly breathing into it like some sort of lust filled tigress. "You're tasty, but not tasty enough. I needs my nourishment if we's gonna be makin' love all night."

"Is this your version of dirty talk?" Rachel asked as she turned around to shut Santana up with a kiss, something that was becoming a key tactical maneuver for her. "Because it's not really turning me on…at all."

"Ha, if you want dirty talk I'm sure I know the words to turn you on," came the cocky reply.

Rachel giggled and turned back around, searching for something to feed her hungry girlfriend. "How about later? Right now let's get you something to eat so we can go back to bed, I wasn't finished cuddling you yet."

After Santana was satisfied with her late night snacking, the two found themselves lying on the living room floor, cocooned in their sheet and surrounded by junk food. It was somewhere around four or five o'clock in the morning but they weren't paying any attention to the time, only to each other.

"I like this," Santana whispered into the darkness while absentmindedly running her fingers through coffee colored hair. "Just lying here with you, holding you." She waited for a reply, but when she received none she lifted her head to peer at Rachel where she was nestled into her shoulder. "I thought you fell asleep," she said after noticing that Rachel's eyes were still open.

"No," the small brunette answered softly, "I like it too. I was just listening to your voice…"

Santana felt a wave of nameless emotions slowly overtake her and in that moment she realized something that she had never consciously thought of before. Aside from Rachel, there was no one else in the entire world who she could be so open with, no one she could lie bare on her living room floor with, no one she could so easily and proudly share her body with. There was just no one else that had made her feel or who could make her feel what Rachel did each time they were together.

"Do you know what I just realized?" Santana asked, her voice gentle and hushed like maybe she was asking herself the question as much as she was asking Rachel.

"Hmm?" Rachel hummed. She was preoccupied with giving the Latina's neck butterfly kisses as she tried to stay awake.

"That I love you…"

The short phrase had Rachel immediately lifting herself onto her arm so that she could look down at Santana's face, which was aglow with a tender smile. As she cupped her cheek and searched her dark brown eyes, Santana again whispered, "I do, I love you, Rachel."

It was apparent that the confession had caught Rachel off guard in the best of ways. Her mouth hung open for a few seconds and then she was smiling and blinking away the glassiness in her eyes. She touched her thumb along Santana's full bottom lip, kissed her, and then simply whispered back, "I love you too, Santana, so much."

* * *

**:D So, what did you think? Favorite parts? Questions? Comments? Let me know and thanks for reading, I appreciate it!**


	21. Friendly Butterflies

**AN: Hey ya'll, just wanted to wish you a happy Saturday by giving you an update! :) I know this chapter is a lot shorter than what's been usual lately and that's only because I'm reaching a transition point in the story. I had to get this portion finished so that we can jump ahead a few months in the next update, and then the chapters will be longer again. This chapter is pretty fluffy and I guess that's all you really need to know! Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites and have fun reading!**

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Chapter 21 – Friendly Butterflies

As Rachel rolled over and ran into something warm and curvy, she remembered that she was sleeping next to Santana, but what she couldn't figure out was why it was so bright in her girlfriend's darkly painted room. Lifting her head from its soft resting place, she squinted one eye open just as her elbow scraped over rough scratchy carpeting. Then, she suddenly knew where she was – the living room floor.

The blinding sunlight of the winter morning was pouring through the large bay window and with a pained groan Rachel brought one of her hands over her eyes. It couldn't have been more than two or three hours since they had gone to sleep but since the day was dawning and they were still exhausted, it was time to relocate.

Preparing to wake the girl beside her, she untangled herself from the sheet and sat up. But the sight that greeted her had her stilling her hand above a tanned shoulder and withdrawing. A sleeping Santana was too perfect an image to disturb. Glossy, ebony black hair was spread out over the carpeting and with the sun shining on it, it resembled a luscious and sinful halo, although the girl who possessed the feature was nothing but angelic in Rachel's eyes. The light cast a shadow over her face – bathing one half and leaving the other in the dark – much like the contrasts in her personality. And through it all she rested easy, not at all aware that she was being admired.

_And she's all mine, _Rachel thought to herself, smiling a little as she reminisced on how perfectly tousled Santana had looked when she had given her simple confession of love. _And she loves me and I love her, more so than she could probably even imagine. _

She knew that to love another, one had to be selfless and she had finally found someone who she was willing to be that for. She was ready for the responsibility of holding Santana's heart, to love her and take care of her, never to hurt her, and to always shield her from the heartbreak she had already endured.

"San," she whispered gently, so as not to startle her. She ghosted a fingertip down the bridge of Santana's nose, smiling even wider when she twitched and scrunched her face up like a little kid in her sleep. Next, she traced the outline of her mouth, eliciting a low, "Mmm…"

"Santana…" Rachel sing songed her full name into her ear, but the Latina still wasn't having it. She twisted onto her side and continued to sleep, completely unfazed.

Deciding that using her name wasn't going to work, Rachel tried using a different short phrase. "I love you, sweetheart."

Seconds later Santana's eyes slid open – all groggy and unfocused – and it took her a moment to hone in on Rachel's presence beside her. "Hmm?" she murmured, looking up at her girlfriend with a sleepy, dopey grin.

"You heard me…"

The Latina continued to grin as she shook her head in disagreement and pulled the sheet up over her mouth and nose. Rachel rolled her eyes in amusement, pulled the sheet back down, and then guided Santana to look at her. "I said, I love you…"

"Oh," Santana sighed, playing coy as if she hadn't known the first time. "I love you too." Then, she lazily stretched her arms above her head, giving Rachel quite the viewing pleasure as the sheet slid down her abs and bared her breasts. After ridding herself of the stiffness she had acquired from sleeping on the floor, she reopened her eyes and smirked. "Like what you see?"

"Huh?" Rachel murmured absently, with her eyes still fixed on her girlfriend's chest.

Slowly, Santana reached out and lifted Rachel's chin so their eyes met. "This is my face…"

"Oh. _Oh!_" Rachel stammered, and then shook her head and ran a palm over a flushing cheek. "I'm so sorry…that was rude."

The Latina just giggled and took one of her girlfriend's hands to place it over her stomach. She then held it in place with her own. "Can you feel anything in there?" she asked.

Rachel, still flustered by being caught leering, wore an expression of confusion. "Um…your heartbeat?"

"Well, yeah, that's in there," Santana laughed, "But I was just wondering if you could feel anything else because every time you look at me like you just were, it feels like there's something jumping around in there."

"Aw, baby," Rachel said softly, as she laid back down and rubbed Santana's belly. "Do you have butterflies this morning?"

"Yep, it's okay though, they're friendly butterflies. They've been in there since we sat on this floor and you told me you liked me, so we've gotten to know each other."

Lifting her body, Rachel moved to straddle Santana's waist and kneaded the muscles of her shoulders in her hands. "You know," she began, "you're very cute when you want to be, and also sometimes when you're not even trying."

When told things to that effect, Santana was either cocky or as she seemed to be that morning – bashful. She dipped her head into her shoulder and shrugged, as if she had no idea what was being referred to. Running her hand up Rachel's arm, she cupped the back of her neck in her hand and then sat up, bringing the small figure into her lap. A kiss was her next goal but when a hand pressed over her mouth, her brows came together questioningly.

"Don't kiss me, I haven't brushed my teeth yet," Rachel provided as explanation.

"Fuck that," Santana announced after having pried the hand from her mouth, "I love you. Nothin' can keep me from lovin' on my girl, not even morning breath."

"That's revolting and not romantic in the least!" the petite brunette laughed, shoving at Santana's shoulder.

"Fine, you can have your way…" After standing them both up, Santana pointed up the stairs and towards the direction of her room. "You have ten seconds to get up to that bathroom and brush your teeth, but if I catch you before you get there I get to take you where you're standing, morning breath, bed head, and all."

Rachel's mouth dropped open, but then transformed to a sly grin. "Of course, whatever you say, Santana…"

"Time is wast – _hey!_"

In the split second it had taken Santana to say a few words, Rachel had snatched the sheet away and made a dash for the stairs, cackling all the way and leaving Santana to streak through the house. But after teeth were brushed and the shower was turned on, Rachel let her girlfriend catch her – catch meaning her bottom lip caught between Santana's teeth as she pressed her to the shower tiles.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

As Santana sat on her bathroom counter and listened to Quinn's ringback tone play, she had to wonder if fulfilling the blonde's request to call was actually a good idea. Although after the night she had had she really did want to talk. She wanted to tell a friend that she was finally strong enough to let someone in and she could only hope that Quinn was still willing to be that friend.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sorry if it's too early," Santana said quickly. The unfamiliarity that had replaced how close they once were was making her feel awkward and self-conscious. Plus, the amount of time it had taken for the line to be picked up made her feel that she had either woken the blonde or interrupted something.

Surprisingly, Quinn gave an easy and genuinely amused laugh. "San, it's almost 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It's definitely not too early, it's fine."

"Holy shit…really?" Santana mumbled, glancing around the bathroom for a clock only to remember that it didn't contain one. "Man, we've been sleeping all day…"

"Late night, huh? Who's _we_?" Quinn asked in a sly voice. Her knowing smile was evident without even having to see her, Santana could just hear it in her tone.

"Really late night…you don't even know…" After an unnecessarily long shower – if it could be considered that – Santana and Rachel had eventually made it back to her bed. Exhausted and lacking a proper window of sleep, they finally fell into a restful slumber before the water droplets on their skin had even had a chance to dry.

"Oh, yes, I do," the blonde said smoothly and then chuckled again. "Britt told everyone what you and Rachel were planning to do, you know, like have a little private sleepover of your own."

Since she had finally decided to don some clothes, Santana was admiring the purplish red hickey above her left nipple that showed from her tank top. But she saw her own face turn to one of mild horror in the mirror as she received that piece of news. "Oh my God! She seriously told everyone that?" she quizzed, while her fingertips touched the spot where Rachel had marked her.

"Just the girls," Quinn clarified, much to the Latina's relief. "The guys had already left."

"That's only a little bit better," Santana said and for the first time in a long time, she realized how easy it was to have a conversation when they were both being honest with each another.

"So…did you tell her?"

Santana played dumb, asking, "Tell who, what?"

"Oh, come on, you know what I'm talking about," Quinn cajoled good naturedly. "Did you tell Rachel that you love her?"

Suddenly, Santana was smiling at her reflection in the mirror. She had told her and she was proud of herself for it too. "Yeah, I did…" she admitted.

"And?"

Her smile grew impossibly brighter as she thought about the girl still asleep in her bed. "And she loves me too."

"Called it!" a voice screamed on the other end of the line, making Santana wince as she pulled her phone away from her ear.

"Geez, you don't have to freak out," the Latina laughed, only to receive static and crackling in response. "Quinn? Are you there?"

Again, there was more static along with rustling and mischievous laughter, and then, _"Brittany! Give me my phone back!"_

Santana just continued to smile and hung up her own cell phone with a light sigh. Nothing could dampen her mood or calm her butterflies.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Santana…" Rachel heavily breathed, her head falling back against the headrest. Santana was half way over the car's center console, pinning her into her seat and kissing her relentlessly. "As much as I love this, we _really_ need to get back to my house. We're already extremely late as it is..."

"The girls can wait," Santana rasped into her neck. She slid her hand along the inseam of Rachel's jeans, further and further until she met warmth and the petite girl gasped sharply. "What?" she asked apologetically, suddenly pulling back to study Rachel's eyes. "What's the matter? I wasn't too rough in the shower this morning, was I?"

Taking her girlfriend's hand and removing it from between her legs, Rachel answered, "No, and if that was rough I have to wonder what gentle feels like." Santana eyed her with an expression that said she was willing to show her just what it felt like right there in the front seat of the car, so Rachel smiled disarmingly and pet her cheek. "I just can't have you getting me so…hot and bothered. You forget that I'm still new to this game."

"Well…" Santana drawled smoothly, her eyes now as playful as they were hungry. "You've been teasing me for weeks –"

"No, I wasn't!"

Ignoring the interruption, the Latina went on seamlessly and still ran her hand along the top of Rachel's thigh. "Maybe not intentionally, no, but you still were. You sitting on my lap in your barely there skirts had me close to dying, so now it's your turn. I hope you're ready for me…" She cupped Rachel through her jeans again, squeezed, and then winked at her before withdrawing to shift the car into drive. They had barely exited the driveway when Santana's fingertips found their way back.

"You can't drive with one hand like that," Rachel thought she had cleverly pointed out, her own hands gripped tightly around the door handle and Santana's wrist as the fingertips played against her jeans' zipper.

"Oh, honey," Santana chuckled devilishly. "You forget that I'm left handed, and that means my right is free to do whatever it desires."

"This isn't fair," Rachel whispered as her girlfriend's hand traveled down to her knee and then back up again. "Oh God…"

The short drive between the Lopez's house and that of her own had never felt so long to Rachel before and by the time they pulled up the logical portion of her brain was wanting her to practically run from Santana and her predatory grin, while the newly discovered portion was telling her to spread her legs and give in.

"See, teasing isn't very pleasing, is it?" Santana said in an aggravatingly sweet voice, while walking her flustered girlfriend up to the door.

"Shut up, Santana," Rachel growled back. "You have no idea how uncomfortable I am right now."

"I bet I do," Santana smiled and then opened the front door, only to be bombarded by two small bodies.

"Santí, we don't want to leave yet!" Noelia whined, holding her sister around the waist and looking up at her with pleading brown eyes.

"Hey, Noelia, missed you too" the older Latina teased and then was almost knocked backwards by Isabel running into her and burying her face in her stomach. "Hey, Is," she said, patting the little girl's head. "You missed me, didn't you?"

"Mhmm," Isabel murmured while continuing to hold tight, not having gotten enough of her older sister just yet.

Noelia detached herself and headed back towards the living room, calling out, "I didn't miss you 'cause I was having too much fun!" Isabel moved to follow along, but not before clinging to Rachel for a few seconds as well.

"You better be nice, Miss Lopez," Hiram told the little spitfire as she passed him in the entryway. He then turned his warm smile on Rachel and Santana and pulled them both into a hug. "Congratulations on going to Nationals, girls. We're so proud of you."

When Santana was released from the embrace she was smiling shyly and tucking an unruly piece of hair behind her ear, sort of as a nervous tic. "Thanks…" The unconditional affection she received from the Berry men was still strange to her at times, but they had roped her into enough hugs and evenings together to slowly make her realize that she and the twins were accepted as part of the family.

"So, how was the sleepover?" he asked excitedly, his arm draped around Rachel's shoulders. "Did you do all sorts of illegal things in celebration of your win?"

Santana laughed, but Rachel could hardly reply. Her mouth dropped open and she gaped for a few moments before saying in a jumpy manner, "Um…it was nice…I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

"What's wrong with her? Is she hung over?" Leroy teased as he appeared from the kitchen.

"Just Rachel being Rachel, I suppose," Santana shrugged. Inwardly, she was grinning like a Cheshire cat and thoroughly amused with the fact that she had given her girlfriend an entirely new reason to storm out of a room. "So, how were the twins? They didn't like destroy anything, did they? Because my dad will totally pay for it if they did."

"No, no, they didn't destroy anything," Leroy replied as he laid a hand on Santana's back and led her to the living room, where sounds of the twins at play could be heard. "But they have made themselves at home."

"Oh my God!" Santana gasped, her gaze roving over the chaos that had once been called a living room. There were stuffed animals, Barbies, and other toys strewn everywhere, along with Wii equipment and a monstrous fortress composed of sleeping bags and sheets in the middle of the space. "I'll make them clean it up before they leave, I promise!"

"Nonsense," Leroy said. "You can't deconstruct the palace, that's where you're going to eat dinner."

"Huh?" Santana murmured, looking up to meet the tall man's eyes.

"Well, all the dining room chairs are under those blankets so there's no other choice but to have dinner in there," he explained. Then he shrugged and nudged her forward, "So, you better go join your sisters. I'll send Rachel in when she gets back."

The Latina turned around to look at him skeptically, but he only made a shooing motion and pointed to a gap in the blankets, saying, "Go on…"

With a hint of a smirk, she got down on her knees and crawled under one of the chairs, feeling silly yet content. Her life had been tumultuous at best and somewhere along the way she had forgotten how to be a kid, she was only sixteen after all. Different circumstances had forced her to grow up and after the night she had shared with Rachel she felt more mature than ever. But at the same time she was remembering what it felt like when life was simple, she was remembering what it felt like to be innocent.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"So…remind me again why we're watching Funny Girl on my laptop instead of the television that's only a mere foot or two away," Rachel grumbled as she and Santana laid on their stomachs in the blanket fort, squished together in a sleeping bag.

"It's funner this way, duh!" Noelia shouted from where she shared another sleeping bag with her sister. "Yeah, duh!" Isabel echoed in typical fashion, flashing a crooked grin.

Santana gently pushed her elbow into her girlfriend's ribs. "You heard the ladies…"

With a huff, Rachel began in on the lecture that Santana was already expecting. "I just must insist because this is their first viewing of a Barbra Streisand classic, that they be able to properly see the screen. They shouldn't miss any bit of this momentous film due to improper equipment. They should be watching it on the big screen so that it can be as close to an accurate portrayal as possible!"

Santana screwed her face up in a tough luck sort of way and clicked her tongue in dismissal. "But at the end of the night, we're still just in your living room and they're just little brats. They don't really care about Barbra Streisand…at all."

"We're not brats!" Isabel giggled and then hid down in her sleeping bag.

"Quiet over there!" Santana shot back.

"Did we miss anything?" Hiram quizzed as he shimmied into the fort on his stomach. Leroy followed behind, but because of his height was left to lie in the makeshift doorway with his legs stretching out.

"Only bickering," Rachel said in a clipped tone.

Just as Santana was going to explain why her girlfriend was so disgruntled, Noelia spoke up with a question that made her want to disappear.

"San, what's on your boobs?"

Rachel clapped a hand over her mouth and nearly snorted, while Santana asked with a tight, threatening smile, "What are you talking about?"

"Right there!" Noelia said, pointing her finger at her older sister's chest, where it was exposed by her tank top dipping low as she held herself on her elbows. "It's a red blob!"

"_Shit_," Santana suddenly hissed under her breath, scrambling to clutch a corner of the sleeping bag against her chest. Her mind went back to that afternoon when she was talking to Quinn as she sat in front of the bathroom mirror, admiring the hickey Rachel had obviously given her during their long, sleepless night together. "It's nothing! Don't worry about it."

"Is that a…?" Hiram began, only to be finished by his husband, "A hickey?"

"No!" both older brunettes shouted in unison.

"Oh, Lord…" Leroy said, rolling his eyes and then averting his gaze. "I'm having no part of this, let's just watch the movie."

Hiram had his mouth set in a firm line and was eyeing his daughter with a fury. "Rachel Barbra Berry, what on earth was your mouth doing on that part of Santana's anatomy?"

"I haven't the vaguest idea of what you're referring to, father dearest," Rachel said sweetly, as she fiddled with the laptop and tried to get the movie to play. Santana's entire chest and face were then turning red with a blush. "Now, everyone quiet, it's time to watch Barbra work her magic."

"Rachel…"

"Dad, shh…"

Hiram continued to glare at his daughter as she continued to ignore him, but eventually he sighed and turned to his husband. "I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that they can't get each other pregnant," he said while shaking his head.

"Already on it," Leroy droned and then placed an arm around the other man's shoulders.

By the time Fanny was telling everyone not to rain on her parade, Rachel's head was rested on Santana's shoulder and they were both sound asleep. Isabel and Noelia had grown bored with the movie not long after the opening credits had rolled and were entertaining themselves by occasionally poking at the older girls to giggle at their reactions.

"There's no denying how cute they are together," Hiram whispered, watching as Isabel snuck a finger out to flick Santana's ear. She flinched and then pulled Rachel closer in her sleep.

Leroy rested his head against Hiram's as he held his chin in his hands. "Oh, puppy love…"

"How long do you think they'll last?"

"Who knows?" Leroy stated honestly. "But look how long we've lasted."

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**Lots of foreshadowing in this chapter, especially when Rachel is talking about being selfless...although it probably won't happen in the way you might think. More will be explained for that story line in the next chapter! Thanks! **


	22. Prom & Porn

**AN: Yikes! So, I know it's been a totally long time since I last updated and I apologize a million times for that! I had to move back to my apartment for college and get back into the swing of school, that's what held me up. But...I updated ALL of my stories today, so I'm hoping that will give me some redeeming points. Yes? No? Well, either way I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**As always, thank you all soo soo much for all of the reviews, favorites, and alerts! The stats for this story continually blow me away. **

**This chapter is mostly just fun and fluff, also as you'll soon find out there is a jump ahead in time. I was going to make it longer but this story only has a few chapters left so I'm trying to break it up a little more where the content allows. Thanks for reading!**

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Chapter 22 – Prom & Porn

_Two and a half months later – early May_

"Hey, papi!"

When the door leading from the garage into the kitchen began to open, Santana was already half way there and smiling like the Santana from six months ago would have never done. She was pretty sure she had read in some stupid magazine that couples began to mirror each other's actions after a while and with all the smiling Rachel was known for and all the smiling she had been finding herself doing, she was starting to believe the claim. It was either that or all of the sex they had been sneaking in between school, Glee rehearsals, siblings, and parents.

"How did the session go tonight?" Santana excitedly asked her father, barely giving him a chance to come through the door before she took his workbag off his shoulder and threw her arms around his neck.

Andres grinned over Santana's head as he squeezed her tightly, pulling her onto her tiptoes. He had never truly realized just how much he missed his daughters while he had been living his life as an alcoholic and he was grateful that he had been fortunate enough to slowly win them and his life back. "It's still tough, but –"

"You can do it," Santana said, cutting him off with positivity. "I know you can."

Holding his eldest daughter at arm's length, Andres studied her proudly before asking, "When did you get to be so grown up?" Then, he stopped her and the oncoming answer by holding up his hand. "Sorry, don't answer that. Where are the twins?"

"Oh, they're just taking care of the toys and stuff that they had in the living room," she answered as she took the coat that her father shed, opened the coat closet and put it over a hanger.

"Geez, you would think your mother raised you right or something." Andres, with his hand still extended from where he had been holding the coat himself, studied her back as she worked and wondered where his once moody teenage daughter had run off to. Although he really didn't have to wonder for long, he knew that Rachel had chased away that girl and exposed Santana as the softie she truly was.

"Ha, she tried," Santana smirked devilishly, making her father reevaluate what he had just been thinking.

"She succeeded…" Andres said with finality and then sat down at the kitchen table, stretching his arms over his head. "So, where's your woman tonight?"

"Papi, don't say it like that!" Santana scoffed as she pulled out a chair for herself and simultaneously checked her cell phone for texts; the latter had become like a nervous tic for her and made her the brunt of many "whipped" jokes. "Only I'm allowed to call her my woman, you just make it sound like I'm a dude or something."

"Fine, where's your lady friend? Is that better?"

"No! Why can't you just say girlfriend like a normal person?" Santana asked, finding herself giggling at her father's antics. It was becoming much more commonplace for them to have such easy conversations; it was like they had picked up exactly where they had left off. Yet sadly, there would always be that one person missing from the dynamic.

"That's because I'm not a normal person," Andres pointed out. "I'm your father and I'm supposed to give you a hard time. Now, tell me what you did with Rachel, because honestly I'm surprised to see that you let her detach from your hip."

Smiling to herself, Santana looked down at her hand to the tiny star Rachel had drawn on the web between her thumb and forefinger. It had happened during Glee club while they were supposed to be paying attention, but they had really only been paying attention to each other as their classmates watched with disgust.

_"You're the prettiest girl in the world," a voice whispered into Santana's ear, making her shiver as her eyes drifted shut. A pen tickled her skin and she bit her lip to keep herself quiet_

_ "No, you are," she insisted, opening her eyes to look at the tiny five pointed brand that Rachel had given her. The petite girl grinned proudly and she was helpless to do anything besides grin back. "I love it…I love you…"_

_ "I love you more," Rachel teased._

_ Santana touched their noses together, making them brush against each other as she nodded in disagreement. "Uh uh, I love you more…"_

_ "Okay, seriously, you two…this is getting out of hand," Mr. Schuester sighed as he sat on a stool and dropped his hands into his lap. After rubbing the bridge of his nose and eyes with his thumb and forefinger, he pointed at his once most attentive student and directed her to a seat in the front row. "Rachel, for the umpteenth time, please get off of Santana's lap and come sit down here."_

_ Santana glared and Rachel scoffed as she jauntily stood up, grasping her girlfriend's hands to release them from her waist._

_ "Not cool, Schuester," the Latina mumbled under her breath._

_ "Santana, if you'd like your new seat can be in Principal Figgins' office," Mr. Schuester said in a tone that warranted no arguments._

_ "Pshhh…"_

_ "It's quite alright, San, don't go getting yourself into trouble," Rachel said haughtily, taking her new chair. "He can separate us physically, but he can never truly separate us…we're bound by love."_

_ "Amen to that," Quinn muttered from the side of the room, her eyes still focused on her notebook._

_ "Mhmm, hallelujah," Mercedes added. _

_ Rachel tilted her head and smiled pointedly at her teacher while crossing her arms over her chest. "Quinn, Mercedes, thank you for agreeing."_

_ "I meant amen to Mr. Schue being able to separate you two at all, I was about to go blind from seeing all of the rainbow explosions coming from the back row," Quinn clarified, to which Mercedes nodded gingerly and said, "I'm with her."_

_ "Ya'll just mad 'cause we be getting' our mack on, nonstop, twenty-four seven, three sixty-five," Santana said, her words cocky as she accented them with a z-snap. She may have gone soft, but no one could argue the fact that she got up more skirt than any of her fellow classmates – single or otherwise. _

"She had some plans with her dads tonight," she explained, while keying in a text message. "I think she's sort of grounded too…"

**my dad wants 2 know y ur not w/ me 2night…im wndring the same thing! :p LOVE U! ~ RachelsGirl**

Andres gave her a skeptical look, finding it hard to believe that someone like Rachel could ever get herself grounded. As far as he could tell the girl seemed to be a saint. "Grounded? Why?"

Santana hesitated as she grinned and slightly winced all at once. "Promise you won't get mad at me if I tell you?"

Suddenly, everything made a lot more sense. "Oh, so it's your fault she's grounded?"

"What? No fair! Rachel can be just as bad as me, probably worse!" Santana laughed. Then, she lowered her head guiltily and mumbled, "But yeah…she told she had to stay home tonight because her dads caught her trying to hide another hickey."

Andres' face was expressionless as he stared at his daughter, making her quickly add, "I can't help it!"

"There's definitely no denying that you're my daughter," he deadpanned and then ran his hands over his face and into his hair. "Anyway, let's talk about something else before I have to ground you too. How's school going? Are you two going to that dance thing everyone goes to…what's it called, Spring Fling?"

"It's called prom, papi," Santana corrected with the customary parents-are-so-clueless eye roll.

A wide smile in place, Andres pointed at her and excitedly announced, "Yeah, yeah, that's what it is! You're taking Rachel, right?"

"I want to," Santana admitted. "I just haven't asked her yet though because I haven't thought up the perfect way to do it."

"Maybe you could just do something simple, not everything has to be a grand gesture."

"In case you haven't notice, Rachel is the queen of grand gestures…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

In a quaint, hole-in-the-wall music shop across town, on a wood floor spread with pages upon pages of sheet music and a select few CDs and records, Rachel sat frustrated and defeated. "There just aren't enough songs revolving around asking someone to prom, if any at all," she proclaimed, beginning to shuffle the sheet music back into what she hoped were their correct folders.

"Ask her some other way," Leroy said as he scanned the back of a record sleeve.

"This _is_ my way though!" Rachel insisted, her desperation showing as she opened her hands and then clenched them into fists for emphasis. "Music is my way of doing things!"

"Well," Hiram began. "As important as music is, you can't use it for everything. Maybe some flowers and a nicely worded speech would be a better idea. Santana seems like a girl who would be just as easily wooed with simplicity as with spectacle." If anything, he felt bad for the girl he spoke of, who was probably wracking her brain trying to think of the most bedazzled way of asking his daughter to prom. He sipped at the iced latte that he had gotten from a place down the street and waited, just knowing that Rachel would find a way to shoot down the suggestion.

But instead, Rachel's expression turned from one of annoyance to one of far off wondering. "Or…" she said quietly, only to never finish the sentence. She shuffled through the purse that had been forgotten at her side and didn't stop until she had her cell phone in hand. "Never fear, I, Rachel Berry, have just thought of the greatest prom proposal in the history of all prom proposals!"

Leroy gave his husband a sympathetic smile. There was never a chance of their daughter accepting anything even remotely close to mediocre and especially not if she didn't come up with it herself. "Uh oh, that doesn't sound like flowers."

"Nor does it sound like a nicely worded speech," Hiram said, shaking his head. "But…I tried."

Rachel couldn't be bothered with whatever her fathers were saying, she was grinning at her cell phone while she replied to a text from Santana and worked on recruiting Brittany's and Quinn's help.

**You know I love you too, but this is a punishment for you just as much as it is for me. You have to stop giving me (visible) hickeys. Now, I hope you spend the rest of the evening thinking about what you did wrong. ~ SantanasGoldStar**

**oh ill think about it…ill think about it all night long ~ RachelsGirl**

The instantaneous response she received made her smile even more. Try as she might, she could not tame the predator that she had unleashed in Santana and secretly, she didn't really want to. She did feel a bit bad about telling her girlfriend the white lie concerning her being grounded for her reoccurring hickeys though. But with how inseparable they had become she had had to find some alone time to plan out their perfect prom night.

**New Txt Message**

**To: Quinn Fabray, Brittany Pierce**

**Mon, May 2 7:37pm**

**I know this may be stretching the limitations of our friendship and the privileges of a former Cheerio, but I desperately need your help procuring Coach Sylvester's confetti cannons. ~ SantanasGoldStar**

**i ddnt get the 1****st**** part but u had me at confetti cannon, im down. lol at goldstar ;) ~ BrittBritt**

**The only thing testing our friendship is that sappy sign-off, but anyway…ur completely insane…I'll see what I can do tho. ~ Q**

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"I better not get in trouble for this sappy shit," Santana mumbled as she watched Puck arrange tea light candles on the auditorium stage. With her hands on her hips, she scowled at the display and wondered where her tough girl attitude had gone. She loved Rachel dearly but she never thought she would be the girl to stay up most of the night plotting out prom proposals.

Puck chuckled as he aligned the candles to form the long staff of the letter 'P' he was creating. "You're the one who thought of it…" Secretly, he couldn't have agreed more. Santana had gone completely soft in his opinion and he wasn't the only one to share that thought. And unbeknownst to her, he, Brittany, and Quinn were about to hijack both her and Rachel's prom proposals in order to prove just that.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Santana waved her other hand in a gesture that meant it would be wise to shut up. "Yeah, yeah…I know, just whatever. Now, before I leave to pick up the flowers, prove to me that you know how to spell prom one more time."

Being the jerk that he knew he was, Puck stood up and clasped his hands in front of him as if he was a contestant in a spelling bee. "Prom…W-H-I-P-P-E-D."

"Just hear me now," Santana stated with a quirk of her brow and a wag of her index finger. "I'll fucking kill you if you mess this up. Oh…and thanks for helping me too."

"No problem, San," Puck answered as he went back to work with an enthusiasm that would have been suspicious to Santana if she would have been in her right mind. "You know how it warms my heart to see you turn into a big pile of mush for Rachel."

"Ha, so funny. Don't burn the place down while I'm gone." And with that, Santana was out the auditorium doors and on her way, leaving the coast clear for Brittany and Quinn to bring in the confetti cannons.

"Is she gone?" Quinn asked Puck, tossing down the bags full of confetti that she and Brittany had thieved from their former Coach's office. Behind her, the taller blonde was attempting to juggle the cannons in her arms and walk at the same time.

"Yep, she's out. Where's Rachel?" he questioned back, beginning on the 'O' that would form a word that definitely wasn't prom.

"She's moping in the choir room because Santana was doing this instead of taking her out to lunch," Quinn laughed, shaking her head and just imagining how mad their friends were going to be after the shenanigans they were setting up had ensued. "This is gonna be great."

"Okay, so let's run through the plan again," Puck suggested as they all worked to put said plan into motion. "After school Rachel thinks she's bringing Santana here so that she can sing some dumb song with confetti raining over them, but really Santana is already going to be here with her prom fire hazard…"

Quinn's smirk grew wider as everything fell into place, though it wasn't malicious. She had long since been over bothering Santana and the little stunt she was about to pull was only an instance of the trouble that she and Santana used to get into before their falling out. "Right!"

Puck went on, "So, then you and Brittany kidnap Rachel and bring her here. I'll light the candles, Santana will be sitting in front of the curtain and then when she pulls the curtain –"

"_Bam!_ Confetti time!" Brittany interrupted with a shout and an impish grin.

"Exactly," Puck agreed as both he and Quinn nodded with self satisfaction. "This is what those two get for all of that PDA we have to endure. At first it was hot…now it just makes me wanna hurl."

After scooping out a handful of confetti from one of the bags, Brittany further proved the fact that she had no filter. "Well, I think it's still hot." Then she tossed the confetti in the air and shrugged as it fell to the stage around her feet.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel was practically skipping down the hallway after the school day had ended, the heels of her black Mary Jane pumps tapping out the rhythm of her excitement. In just a short while she was going to be asking her too-good-to-be-true girlfriend to go to prom with her while simultaneously outwitting the most frightening faculty member at all of McKinley. Needless to say, it was probably the grandest and most dangerous scheme that she had ever been the coordinator of.

"Brittany! Quinn!" Rachel happily greeted as the two blondes rounded a corner in front of her. "Is everything ready in the auditorium?"

Quinn was wearing a coy expression while Brittany was grinning like a maniac and holding a red towel from the locker rooms. "Oh, yes…_everything_ is ready," the shorter blonde announced with a cryptic quality. Once the gap between the three of them had closed, she took Rachel's hand in her own and guided it to the crook of her elbow.

With a hint of an uneasy smile, Rachel let herself be led by Quinn and tried to discern what about the two girls was making her sense that something was wrong. "What's going – _mmpphff!_"

"Don't worry, Rachel," Quinn advised in an authoritative tone, after Brittany had bagged the brunette's head with the towel. "We're under strict orders from Santana to bring you to her."

"What? Why?" Rachel yelled as best she could through the terry cloth barrier being held over her face. "Is she asking me to prom? I was supposed to ask her first! Why are you doing this? We made an arrangement, the confetti cannons remember!"

"Quiet, prisoner," Brittany demanded, her voice void of emotion as she walked behind her struggling captive. "I've watched enough COPS reruns to know how this works. You have the right to remain silent…I know that's hard for you, but that's one of your Panda rights. Anything you say can and will be used against you –"

Quinn tried to keep herself from laughing at the entire situation, nudging Brittany through a smirk and whispering, "You can stop, Britt. She's not under arrest."

"Oh…" the taller blonde murmured, "Guess you don't have to be silent then."

And Rachel was anything but silent as the trio made their way from the main hallways lined with lockers, to the Cheerio trophy lined hallways leading to the auditorium. "I'll have you know that this is completely outrageous!" the brunette ranted through her makeshift muzzle and effective blindfold. "You two are vilely disloyal and I hope you come to regret the fact that you have brought a wonderfully thought out prom proposal to ruins!"

Once they had reached the doors of the annex that lead into the auditorium, Quinn gave Rachel a shove into the pitch black space. Taking the towel and giving the order of, "Go find your girl!"

"Quinn!" Rachel whined as the doors closed behind her, leaving her alone and choking out all traces of light. Extending a hand to the side, she brushed her fingertips against one of the cool brick walls and began walking into the auditorium. "Why can't the lights be on?" she yelled, figuring that the girls who had now abandoned her were still standing on just the other side of the doors.

"Rach?"

"Santana?" she called back to the disembodied voice that she recognized so well.

"Come up to the stage…"

"Fine! But I'll have you know that I'm highly perturbed right now!" Rachel stomped along, her shoes echoing even louder than they had been in the empty hallways. Just as she had made it to the center aisle and was making her descent down toward the stage, a pair of hands took her waist from behind and had her screaming into the darkness.

"Easy…" Santana whispered, sliding one of her hands around to Rachel's stomach. "Just me…"

"You could give me a little warning," Rachel said, her breathing heavy from the sudden shock. "Since when did you make it a habit to kidnap girls and lurk around darkened theatres?"

With a twist and a jerk, Santana had turned the smaller brunette to face her and began walking her backwards toward the stage front. "Since you made me watch the Phantom of the Opera like seven times since we've been dating," she husked in Rachel's ear, as her back met with solid wood. "Except I pride myself on having a much prettier face."

Rachel tilted her head back to put distance between herself and her girlfriend, curling her hands around the stage's edge as she did so. "You're ruining my plans for this afternoon…"

"Too bad, you're needed for _my_ _plans,_" The tilt of her head only gave Santana easier access to her neck and she made the most of the opportunity, raking her teeth down the column of Rachel's throat and then running her tongue upwards along the same path. "We're _always_ in this damn auditorium…but now we're alone, in the dark…"

"I am not having sex with you on this stage, Santana," Rachel said firmly, despite the fact that she had spread her thighs to let Santana's slip in between.

The Latina gave an evil laugh. "Maybe I wasn't going to give you a _choice_!" she said, the last word being forced out from the effort she had used to pull Rachel up by the back of her thighs and sit her on the stage.

"You're abhorrent," Rachel practically moaned as she gave in and laid back on the wood, waiting for the moment when the weight of another body would settle over her. Never in her life would she admit it, but being ravished on stage was one of her deepest, darkest fantasies. She just wasn't sure if she could unwind enough to actually let that happen.

"Actually…" Santana began as she straddled Rachel's waist and stroked out a strand of her rich brown hair to wind it around her finger. "I think you love me."

"I do, I _really really _do love you, baby," the petite brunette answered, her breathing becoming heavier again but for an entirely different reason. She slid her palms along the tops of denim covered thighs and reveled in their strong, toned quality; Santana really could ravish her if she wanted to. "But I don't know if I can let you do this here."

"Oh, fine." Santana rolled off and lied down, resting her head in her hand. That didn't keep her from rubbing circles over Rachel's lower stomach, her fingertips wandering further than necessary every so often. "We'll just lay here…"

"You had me kidnapped by our so-called friends so that we could just lay here?"

Santana laughed again and then sat up and got to her feet. "No, but it wouldn't be any fun if I didn't get to tease you a little. Now, stay put and face the curtain, I's about to blow ya mind."

Rachel rolled her eyes, but she still smirked as she watched her girlfriend's silhouette retreat and then completely disappear into the shadows. A few moments of silence passed and then with a light swishing sound the thick, draping curtains separated, revealing a glow of candles that made Rachel's mouth part.

Santana eventually made her way back to the middle of the stage where Rachel was standing, her footsteps making some of the old floorboards squeak as she walked. She was almost as nervous as she had been on the day that she had asked Rachel out for the first time and she couldn't even look at the display that she had made Puck set up, she had to scrutinize Rachel's reaction instead.

"You like it?" she asked the awestruck girl beside her, as she took one of her hands and placed a hand at her waist. She received no answer and she figured that was an answer in itself. "Can we dance like this at prom?" she questioned further, beginning to lead their bodies in a slow sway.

"Prom?" Rachel echoed and peeked over a shoulder to reread the word that the pattern of the candles spelled out.

"Mhmm," Santana murmured against her neck. This time kissing sweetly before dropping her forehead to rest on Rachel's shoulder.

"But, San…that says porn…"

"_Porn?"_ Santana shrieked, forgetting all about Rachel to see that sure enough, Puck had arranged the candles to spell out 'PORN?' "Goddamn you, Puck!" she yelled, whirling around to face the rows and rows of dimly lit seats. "Wherever you are, you better come out! 'Cause nows I's about to murder you, homeboy!"

While Santana swore and strutted around the stage spewing threats with her chest puffed out, Rachel looked between her suddenly gangster girlfriend and the candles and couldn't help but chuckle behind her hand. It seemed that the situation had reached a maximum level of sheer insanity until a loud explosion completed the atmosphere of what now seemed like a gunshot riddled ghetto. But when the lights came on and the confetti started pouring down Rachel didn't know what to think anymore.

"This is a disaster," she mumbled under her breath, knowing that it would only get worse when a hysterically laughing Puck finally revealed himself, followed by Brittany and Quinn.

"Oh, you think you're funny with these sprinkles?" Santana continued to rant. "Well, come over here, Puck! I'm about to beat your ass into sprinkles!"

"It wasn't just me!" Puck said in his defense.

"Santana!" Rachel scolded, coming up behind the enraged girl and turning her around. "Hey, look at me," she demanded as she squeezed Santana's face between her hands. "Remember what I said about controlling your Santanitude?"

"But! But!" the Latina stammered. "But they ruined my entire prom proposal! It was supposed to be so romantic and perfect and –"

Rachel smiled soothingly and pet her girlfriend's cheek. "It was romantic, with just a hint of raunchiness. And if it's any consolation, they ruined my proposal too." Santana gave her a questioning expression and she began to explain further. "I had Quinn and Brittany steal the confetti cannons for me…and I was going to sing you Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton…"

Suddenly, Santana wasn't feeling very angry anymore and she bit back an amused smile before whispering, "Rach, that's incredibly cheesy."

"Isn't that what prom is about?" Rachel smiled back, releasing Santana's face to slip her hands around the back of her neck.

"I don't care what it's about, just as long as I get to take you as my date…"

"Well, I accept your proposal, Santana, and I love you," Rachel whispered, making the three other teenagers in the room begin making gagging and vomiting noises.

"I love y –"

"Was that the distinct sound of my confetti cannons that I just heard?" a voice suddenly boomed throughout the auditorium. Brittany and Quinn were the first to scream and scatter; they were seasoned to that voice and when it had that irate quality they knew to run in the opposite direction.

Santana pulled Rachel behind the gathered curtain at one side of the stage and they watched in both slight entertainment and mild horror as Puck – who was too slow and blindsided to evade Coach Sylvester – was pummeled into the ground. "We gotta get out of here," the Latina urged frantically, tugging Rachel further backstage and leaving Puck to his candle lit death.

"Do you know what I'm about to do now?" Sue snarled close to Puck's ear, as she sat on his back with his arms twisted behind his body.

"No…" he practically whimpered, his cheek pressed so close to the stage floorboards that he could smell the wax that the janitors used to polish it.

"Well, allow me to explain it to you," she said with her usual venom. Somehow she had used her stealthy skills to remove a shoelace from one of her red and white Adidas shoes and began using it fasten Puck's hands together. "I'm about to hogtie you and then I'm going to put you on a spit and roast you for my own enjoyment. It's a paintful ritualistic technique that I learned while staying with a cannibalistic, indigenous tribe of the Amazon."

"No!"

"Oh, yes, and the best part is that I'm going to use the hundreds of tiny flames of your lovely tea light arrangement to do it!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Oh, God, I just saw my life flash before my eyes!" Rachel panted as she skidded to a stop in the parking lot.

"Totally true," Santana agreed, setting her hands on her upper thighs and bending over as she heaved. "But it's going to be way worth it when I get to read Puck's obituary in the newspaper tomorrow morning."

With a casualness that she usually didn't possess when it came to such things, Rachel unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt and fanned it open. "All this activity has me feeling hot…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Santana asked after straightening up and fishing her car keys from her pocket.

"It means you should take me back to your house and ravish me like you wanted to. And since we've already broken the ice, maybe you should introduce me to those videos on your laptop that the twins told us about all those months ago…"

Santana paused with her hand halfway to the door handle of her car, staring blankly. "Are you asking to watch porn with me?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Rachel picked at her fingernails and studied them coyly. "You _did_ technically ask me to, albeit indirectly."

"Get in the car," the Latina demanded, before twisting the ignition and gunning it out of the parking lot. Whether it came to porn or prom, Santana was convinced that she had the best girlfriend in the universe.

* * *

**AN: Okay, so next chapter includes dress shopping and prom! And the twins will be featured heavily since they were MIA from this chapter. After the prom chapter we have one more arc to get through and that will bring some drama/tension, but everything will work out for the best in the end! Thanks again!**


	23. Dressing Room Drama

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long, ugh, you can blame stress and real life for that b/c believe me I would rather be writing all day then going to school. Anyway, this chapter is just fluffy and fun again (with lots from the twins!), and once again due to length I had to split it up so the next chapters will be a reasonable length as well. But, that just means more, right! :) Thanks for all the alerts, favorites, and reviews...I still can't believe so many people keep putting this story on alert, it's crazy! Now, on with the chapter, you've been waiting long enough!**

* * *

Chapter 23 – Dressing Room Drama

"_Fuck…I taught you well, Rach," Santana whispered up to the ceiling, grinding her hips and gripping at the head of dark hair situated between her thighs. "You're so good…I'm close, I'm gon –"_

"Ugh! Ow!"

"Get up! Get up! We're gonna go shopping!"

"Get off me!" Santana was shrieking while flailing and trying to get her pillows and blankets back up over her head. The twins were struggling just as hard, trying to perform the exact opposite.

"Papi said get up or else he's gonna leave you here and pick out your dress himself!" Noelia teased, punching her fist into the pillow that she knew her sister's head was underneath.

Isabel found a stray lock of hair that hadn't been concealed and began yanking it repeatedly. "He said it and he meant it!"

"Ow, that's attached to me!" Santana yelled and wrestled a hand out from under the comforter to shove at whatever small body she could find without actually looking. "Go away, damnit!" she croaked, burrowing her face further into the darkness of the sheets. "I'm tryna get my dream mack on…"

"Santana!" a voice called from somewhere further away, a deeper voice that she was more apt to listen to. "I'm prepared to let you spend my money today and all you want to do is sleep?"

At that, the beginning of a smirk quirked Santana's lips and she called back to her father, "How much money?"

"Just get up, girl…Rachel may or may not be downstairs waiting for you…"

"I'm up," Santana said quickly, sitting up and pushing her chaotic hair out of her face.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Papi, turn up the radio!" Isabel shouted from Santana's right, followed by the demand of, "No! Change the channel," from her left.

"How about everyone shut up," Santana blandly suggested as she let her head fall back against the headrest of the back seat. She was attempting to fall asleep during the drive to the mall, hoping that she could pick up where her previous dream had left off. Or maybe not – having a wet dream in the car during their little family outing probably wouldn't make for the most comfortable situation.

"Santana," Rachel prompted, turning around from the front passenger seat with a smile that was annoyingly bright that morning. "I must ask what has you so on edge today. We're going to meet our friends to go dress shopping, aren't you even a little excited? I am!"

Pulling the hood of the sloppy Cheerios sweatshirt that she had chosen to wear down over her eyes, Santana mumbled back, "No, not excited at all. I'm tired and I just want to get back in my bed and get my cuddle on and shut out the rest of society." She attempted to stretch her legs out, but they only went so far before running into the middle console, irking her even more. "And now I have to sit back here in the middle and just ugh! No me gusta!" she snarled as she kicked at the console and flopped helplessly against the seat.

"What are you PMS-ing or something?" Andres laughed, knowing full well that the comment would cause even more drama.

"Shut up, papi!"

"Actually, she is," Rachel announced much to her girlfriend's dismay. Andres tensed awkwardly and pretended to focus on driving while the twins listened intently, waiting for further explanation. "I have these types of important events marked on our relationship calendar."

"Relationship calendar?" Andres echoed to himself in confusion. Since when did those come into fashion?

"Rachel, you shut up too!" Santana demanded, making the other girl turn to her with a fierce glare. "You're all pissing me off, so just shut up and don't talk to me!"

"Santana Alejandra, watch your language," Andres warned.

"That was decidedly rude and uncalled for," Rachel began to lecture, twisting even further around to look at Santana. "This is supposed to be a lovely afternoon of shopping for the biggest day of our high school lives and if you continue to let your attitude get the better of you, I'll –"

"You'll what?" the Latina shouted, suddenly sitting forward and waving her arms crazily. "You're not my mom, so stop acting like it and come at me if you have a problem!"

The twins' heads were swiveling back and forth between the two older girls and their father, waiting to see who would get in the next word. But it was Noelia who couldn't hold back anymore and blurted, "Fight!"

Everyone suddenly lurched forward as the brakes were stepped on and Andres whipped his car to the shoulder of the road, slamming the steering wheel with his hand in the process. "Alright, ladies, this is what's going to happen," he informed in a hot tone. "Twins, you two need to stay out of this. Rachel, no more talking about bodily functions and as for you, Santana, I just really don't want to hear your voice until we get out of this car!"

Rachel was already sitting back in her seat and facing forward with her arms crossed over her chest. Her bottom lip was bitten between her teeth to keep it from trembling and she hadn't planned on speaking anymore anyway. Not after Santana had screamed at her like a lunatic and basically threatened her to a fight like she was one of the nobodies who insulted her ego at school.

"Is that understood?" Andres asked as he used the rearview mirror to look back at his oldest daughter. The twins had been scared into silence on either side of her.

Feeling stupid for getting yelled at, Santana yanked her hood over her face again and put her head back. But not only did she feel stupid, she also felt bad. She didn't know why she said what she had but now more than ever she just wanted to curl up in bed alone. Unfortunately though, that wasn't an option and instead she was going to have to force a good mood to go try on tacky prom dresses. "Yeah, whatever…"

The response wasn't going to get any better than that and Andres gave her one more glance before continuing to drive. But in typical fashion, it wasn't long until the silence he had created was broken by one of the twins, Isabel to be exact.

"No one told us what PMS is…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Rachel made her way through the mall with Isabel's hand in hers, and Andres and Noelia beside them. The eyes on her back were making her conscious of her every movement and she walked with a more clipped gate than what was usual. "What's she doing back there? Can you tell?"

In the most inconspicuous way possible, Andres turned his head over his shoulder to slyly observe his eldest daughter. Her hood was still pulled over her head as she lamely studied a display for some seen-on-TV product in the center of the walkway and she likened some type of criminal. "I'd say pouting and moping if I had to give it a label," he reported back.

Rachel winced and wanted nothing more than to go comfort Santana for whatever was wrong, but she just didn't know how it would be received. As slangy and Santana-esque as the outburst in the car had been, it still hurt to know that it was meant for her. Nothing like that had happened since before they started dating.

"Hey, Rachel," Isabel said softly, looking up and changing the adjustment of their hands. "I have an idea."

"What's that, Is?" Rachel asked as she directed a smile down to the little girl.

"I could be your girlfriend since San is being mean…"

The innocent suggestion made Rachel laugh for the first time that day and she squeezed Isabel's hand encouragingly. "Thank you, Isabel, I think you're a very upstanding young lady but don't you think I'm a bit too old for you? I think you could get someone more suitable than me."

Making a face, Isabel turned to her father who had been listening to the conversation with a smirk, asking, "Papi? Do you think Rachel is too old to be my girlfriend?"

"Maybe just a little, but Rachel already has a girlfriend," Andres told her. He sent another glance over his shoulder to Santana and this time found her loitering near a bench flanked by two trashcans, still looking aggravated. "Even if she is acting somewhat crazy today."

In an action that was sure to disturb the peace, Noelia suddenly broke into a sprint heading for an unknown destination. Andres ran a hand through his hair as he tried to keep his cool but when Noelia showed no signs of stopping, it was obvious that he had no other choice but to chase after her.

"My sisters _are_ actin' crazy today," Isabel said with a shake of her head that made Rachel want to giggle. "But I'm not crazy," she finished, her words having a certain purpose.

"Fine," Rachel eventually gave in. "I'll be your girlfriend, but just for today!"

Multiple storefronts away, Noelia was finally coming to a halt in front of the very last place she needed to be – the candy store. "Papi, can we buy _all_ of this!" she gushed, her eyes glazing over for the colorful containers of candy like she was rabid.

Andres stopped just behind her while hoping that not too many people had just seen the race he had ran. Silently, he was also hoping that Isabel would not grow up to be gay like her older sister. Of course he would love her no matter what, but he just didn't think that he would be able to handle any more women coming into his life. Three daughters – four, with the addition of Rachel – were plenty enough.

"No, we're definitely not buying all of it…I don't think we should buy any of it actually…"

"But papi!" Noelia cried, hanging her head and staring at him with her pleading brown eyes.

Just as Noelia was about to throw a fit, Rachel and Isabel caught up to them and it was already obvious that Isabel was beginning to have the same reaction to the candy as her twin. And knowing that there was no other way to diffuse the situation, Andres pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "Alright, alright, no one needs to start crying. We'll get _some_ candy."

Noelia went from sulking to doing a nameless, improvised dance number as she headed into the store. Isabel wasn't far behind and she let go of Rachel, who was eyeing her girlfriend's father with a smirk and thinking he was just as crazy as his daughters.

"Don't give me that look!" Andres teased as he noticed Rachel's judging eyes, almost as if he was reading her mind. "I know I'm crazy for supplying them with more energy, but at least they'll be quiet."

Rachel was just about to reply, but a hand sneaking up to grasp her elbow interrupted. "Can I talk to you for a second?" a voice from behind her asked. She already knew who it belonged to by the gentleness of the touch and the scent of perfume that had come with it.

"Of course…" she answered and then let herself be led some distance away to where the mall was mostly empty.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Santana apologized in a quiet, guilty tone as she avoided eye contact.

Rolling her own eyes, Rachel reached up to remove the hood and smooth down Santana's hair. "It's fine if you want to be emotional and moody because you're about to get your period," she said as she continued to make her girlfriend look more presentable. "But don't take it out on me just because you're upset that you won't be able to have sex next week."

"That's not why I –"

"Because I've been doing some Googling and I've decided that I'm not above getting my red wings. I'd do it for you, your blood is my blood and I actually read that –"

"Rachel, stop!" Santana demanded and brushed off the hands that were still fussing about her face and hair. "That's not why I'm emotional and moody." Rachel gave her a look of disbelief, prompting her to go on. "Fine, maybe the PMS is just adding to it and the fact that I woke up with a wettie and my sisters punching me and pulling my hair didn't help either."

Rachel sucked her lips into her mouth and bit down to avoid laughing until she could compose herself. "Adding to what?"

Santana looked away and cast her eyes to the floor. "I don't want to say, it's stupid."

With a sigh, Rachel placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "You might as well just tell me now because you know I'm going to bother you until you do."

"No…" Santana whined as the shorter girl reached up to poke a fingertip into her cheek. "Stop it."

"Tell me," Rachel repeated.

"I miss my mom…"

The confession made Rachel freeze up and she dropped her hand back to her side. Santana hadn't been the only one thinking about her mother recently; Shelby had been consuming a significant portion of Rachel's thoughts as of late, Mother's Day was fast approaching after all. But in the face of Santana's situation her own seemed to pale in comparison and she put on a sympathetic smile for her girlfriend instead of thinking of herself. "I'm sorry, San…"

"It's so stupid but I keep thinking about how she should be here for this and she's not." Santana pressed the heels of her palms over her eyes and sighed. "And she's not ever going to be either."

"It's not stupid," Rachel assured and pulled her further away from any passersby. Then she moved Santana's hands away from her face and ran her own over her shoulders soothingly. "But don't cry, okay? You'll ruin your makeup…oh wait, no you won't because you were too lazy to put any on this morning."

"Don't make fun of me," Santana whimpered, although it was apparent that she was trying not to laugh.

"Don't make fun of me," Rachel mocked as she took the strings of Santana's hoodie and tugged at them. "You're such a baby sometimes, you're really not that tough at all."

"I'm your baby though, remember?" Santana pointed out and then nuzzled her face into Rachel's neck like she loved to do.

"Alright, I've seen about enough already!" a sassy, obnoxious voice sounded, making Santana fix her face with a glare for whoever the voice belonged to.

"It's fine," Quinn said as she approached the couple, leading the way for Brittany and Mercedes – Mercedes being the one who had so loudly announced her distaste for the mushy display that had been happening beforehand. "At least they'll be separated today."

"Ha…ha…" Santana droned without amusement as she untangled herself from her girlfriend and crossed her arms over her chest. "How did you bitches find us anyway? We were trying to avoid the masses, you know, like have some privacy."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Since when have you two cared about being private?"

"Look here, Weezy, I am in no mood for you today so don't go startin' anything," Santana informed, to which Rachel responded by taking her by the arm just for good measure.

"Hello, girls," Rachel greeted in an over practiced manner. "As you can see, Santana is a bit more volatile than usual, but I'm sure it's nothing that can't be remedied by an afternoon of shopping with friends."

"You'd be surprised," Santana whispered under her breath. While Rachel, Quinn, and Mercedes began chatting about which stores they would be visiting, she took the opportunity to shrug off Rachel's hand and do a onceover of Brittany, who had yet to say anything. The blonde wasn't looking as perky as usual, in fact she looked as if she had gone without an entire night of sleep and then gotten dressed in the dark. "Hey," Santana called to get her attention. "What's your problem?"

Brittany looked up from the floor in a daze and pointed to herself. "Me?"

The naïve gesture lightened Santana's mood by just a few fractions, but it was something nonetheless. "Yeah, you," she said with a slight smile.

"Oh…" Brittany said slowly and then nodded her head. "Lord Tubbington puked on my pillow right before I was about to go to bed last night, so I yelled at him. But then I felt bad, so instead of going to sleep I sat with him under the stairs in the basement all night. I even brought a little plastic bowl in case he needed to throw up again…which he didn't, by the way."

The story was a tad on the disgusting side but Santana gave her friend a sympathetic look. That's when she knew that Rachel's PMS monitoring had to be correct, she wasn't usually that emotional over a cat and all. "Well, I hope he feels better."

"He was pretty interested in eating my toast when he jumped on the table this morning while I was drying my hair, so I think everything is fine now," Brittany assured casually.

"Awesome," Santana replied and then waved a hand in the direction of the blonde's entire outfit, which consisted of a sweatshirt similar to her own, the shortest denim shorts in existence, rainbow striped knee socks, and winter boots that reached nearly as high as the socks. "Now, tell me what's up with this getup…aren't you like, a little bit hot _and_ cold? I mean, you're wearing snow boots with shorts."

"Yeah, so?" Brittany questioned, shrugging her shoulders to show that she could see no problem with that. "My calendar said that it's May, doesn't that just mean that you _may_ wear whatever you want?"

Santana could see her father and the twins fast approaching with clear bags of candy in tow and she knew that there wouldn't be enough time to explain the logistics of the calendar before Brittany would be distracted by said candy. Giving her another expression of sympathy for an entirely different reason, she patted her on the shoulder and whispered, "I'll give you a refresher course on calendars once everything settles down after prom."

"Sounds good to – _gummy bears!_"

Noelia was pushing the tiny bears into her mouth faster than she could chew them – making an intelligible response out of the question – but her excitement mirrored Brittany's and she wordlessly shoved the bag up towards the much taller teenager, urging her to take some.

"Look at all my candy!" Isabel shouted to the group of older girls as she held her own bag out for show, having just enough sugar already in her bloodstream to put her on the brink of sheer insanity.

Santana, figuring that some candy would get her on the fast track to free energy, began reaching a hand out for Isabel's stash. "Can I get some candy, Is?" she asked without really thinking that she would be refused.

"No! You're mean today!" Isabel immediately snapped, hiding the bag out of reach just as quickly.

"Oh, denied!" Mercedes shouted and then followed it with hysterical laughter.

Deciding that she would give her girlfriend more harmless punishment for her earlier behavior, Rachel draped an arm around Isabel's shoulders. "May I have some candy, Isabel?"

"Yes!" the little girl chirped happily, wasting no time in offering some. "You can even have my favorites!"

With a lazy pace that was meant to be facetious, Rachel unwrapped a watermelon Jolly Rancher, put it in her mouth and then arched a brow at her girlfriend. "See how well things work out when you're nice to people, Santana?"

Santana held back a growl of frustration and looked over to Quinn. "Whatever, let's get this moving. I'm taking Quinn and papi. Rachel, you can have Brittany and Mercedes."

"I'm stayin' with Rachel!" Isabel suddenly chimed in, causing Rachel to grin proudly.

"I'm stayin' with Britt!" Noelia added through a mouthful of gummy bears. Brittany nodded vigorously in agreement and gave a thumbs up since she was too busy trying to chew to speak.

"I don't think so," Andres interrupted as he stepped in to seize Noelia by the sleeve of her shirt. "You're well on your way to eating a pound of gummy bears, I think you can stay with me."

Brittany was the only one to protest the arrangement, sloppily whining, "No fair!" and raising a hand to her mouth to keep from drooling. Noelia knew how to fix the situation though and she pocketed a handful of gummy bears and crammed another handful into her mouth. Then, she gave the rest of the bag to Brittany which earned her a second thumbs up.

"Okay, let's do the damn thang," Mercedes announced, snapping her fingers once and pushing Rachel in the opposite direction of her girlfriend.

"Wait!" A collective eye roll occurred amongst the group as Rachel evaded Mercedes and caught Santana by the strings of her sweatshirt again.

"Whoa…hey," Santana breathed out as her face was pulled down. Her hands went around Rachel's waist and she brought their bodies flush against each other, never minding their audience. The impending kiss was inevitable as were the groans of repulsion, but what happened after the two parted had Mercedes doubled over in a fake dry heave and even Quinn – who had stayed mostly quiet – was looking subtly disgusted.

"I'm gonna barf," Mercedes said through her exaggerated gags.

Santana held the hard candy that had previously been in Rachel's mouth between her upper and lower teeth and grinned wickedly. "Thanks, babe, you're my favorite flavor," she said after slipping it under her tongue.

"You're welcome," Rachel said back just as slyly. "Now, we should probably go find some dresses. Good luck, I'll love it no matter what and that's because I love the girl who's going to be wearing it."

"Have you guys ever done that in front of Lord Tubbington? Maybe that's why he puked last night," Brittany commented, to which Quinn and Mercedes nodded in unison.

Andres was thoroughly stunned and now worried about what other types of suggestive and vulgar things Santana had been learning while he wasn't paying attention over the years. Before he had approached after letting their friends interrupt, he had overheard snippets of Santana and Rachel's conversation as he led the twins from the candy store. It pained him to hear his daughter say that she missed her late mother, but imagining how his wife would have reacted to Santana's tonsil hockey made him want to laugh. He could only imagine the butting of heads that would have occurred.

"Santana, I think we should begin before the twins have a sugar crash and start to get cranky," he suggested to his daughter. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Santana said, although she was still focused on Rachel. "I love you too and I'll see you soon."

"Right, of course, I'll see you soon too. I –"

"Come on, sugar lips," Mercedes grumbled, catching a blabbering Rachel by the arm again and directing Brittany to take the other so she had no chance of escaping. Isabel offered her help by pushing against Rachel's back as they began to march her away.

Santana deflated a little as her girlfriend was walked further through the mall, but not for the reason that would have been expected. "Don't tell her this," she began. "But I'm kind of glad we're going to be apart for this…I hate trying on clothes as it is, I don't think I could handle all of the enthusiasm today."

"Come on, it's going to be fine," Quinn coaxed as she looped her arm through Santana's and took charge. It was apparent that she was going to have to provide the moral support for the day. "Now, let's see if we can get you looking a little less homeless…"

Santana laughed and allowed herself to be pulled in the direction of the store that she and Quinn had talked about the day before. "Fine, but even though I wanted to do this separately, I still don't understand why we aren't allowed to see each other's dresses. It's not like we're getting married or something."

"You never know!" Quinn said with a squeeze of her arm. "This could just be practice for the future!"

Andres brought up the rear while holding Noelia's sticky hand and mumbling to himself, "Someone save me…"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Don't you know any other guys that you could have brought along for this?" Andres quizzed as he stood outside a dressing room with several prom dresses draped over his arm.

"What other dudes would actually want to do this?" Santana answered from the opposite side of the door. She had been huffing and groaning for the past ten minutes as she attempted to try on the third dress option by herself, without Quinn to aid her with the zipper.

"Exactly my point…"

"Papi, stop trying to be funny," Santana volleyed back, before adding a quip of her own. "Besides, I don't know any other guys who have as much money as you."

Andres smiled to himself and shook his head. "Touché…I don't know who you got your sense of humor from…"

"I don't know either, but I need you to zip this stupid dress!" The dressing room door was thrown open a few seconds later, revealing a frustrated looking Santana with one of her arms slung across her chest. "Don't look though. My boobs are like all out…"

"Not looking, not looking," Andres assured as he waited for his daughter to turn around so he could complete the task. Once Santana was facing away from him, he moved her loose hair over her shoulder and pulled at the zipper of the short black dress, finding that it had to be tugged rather than pulled. "It's a little tight, don't you think?"

"It's fine, that's how it's supposed to be," Santana informed as she turned back around and rearranged her hair to fall down her back again. "How does it look?"

"Santana!"

"What?"

Awkwardly, Andres gestured to the considerably low neckline. "_Everything _is still _all out_!"

Santana rolled her eyes and moved to inspect herself in one of the full length mirrors. "They're called boobs, papi, and I've had them for a while now. You know, I have grown up some over the past couple years," she said nonchalantly, while testing and looking at the fit of the dress from different angles. From over her shoulder, she gave herself a smirk of approval. "Plus, this one makes me look smokin' hot."

"That's the problem." Without giving her a chance to look any further, Andres turned her around, pulled the zipper back down and gave her a gentle shove back into the dressing room. "I don't care how long you've had them or how old you are. My little girl is not wearing that dress out in public."

"What happened to the black dress? I wanted to see how it looked," Quinn asked as she came strolling back in from the main area of the store. Behind her Noelia stumbled along, carrying another dress and doing her best not to let its hem touch the floor.

"It was too revealing," Andres informed.

"It was flippin' fabulous!"

"That's okay, I found a better one," Quinn said, taking the dress from her small, bored looking personal assistant and opening the door just a crack to offer it to her friend. "Black probably isn't the best for spring anyway, this color fits more with the season…"

"_Pink!"_ Santana squawked after having snatched up the dress and slamming the door shut again. "I am not wearing a pink dress! I don't even think Rachel likes the color pink!"

When the doorknob began turning, Quinn grabbed it and put her back against the door, effectively trapping Santana inside the dressing room with the dress that she obviously did not want. "It's _magenta_, Santana, and just try it on. I think Rachel will like it just fine...it'll go great with your skin tone."

"You better be right about thi – ew! Why is the hanger sticky?"

Both Quinn and Andres looked to Noelia and found the answer to the question. With her right hand she was still pulling gummy bears from her pocket and systemically placing them in her mouth, while she licked the sticky remnants from her left palm between bites.

"It's probably just from a price tag or something," Andres swiftly cut in, not wanting to add anymore difficulties to the process. What Santana didn't know couldn't gross her out.

After what seemed like an excessive amount of time spent listening to Santana grumble and curse under her breath, Quinn released the door and stepped away to let her out. "Stupid pink dress," she mumbled as she breezed out the door and positioned herself in front of the mirror again, her hands on her hips. "There, happy? It's on."

"Yes," Quinn said with a smile. She had known all along that her taste would take them farther than Santana's. Stepping up behind her friend, she swept Santana's hair from her shoulders and twisted it up, letting the loose pieces create a mock updo. "Now, just admit that I was right. It looks amazing and you know it."

"Well…" Santana inspected the fluttering asymmetrical hemline that revealed her legs from mid-thigh in the front and worked around to fall into a short train behind her feet. She would have to have a great pair of heels if she wasn't going completely floor length, but that was something she planned on milking her father's wallet for whether her feet were visible or not; it was just a necessity in her mind. Experimentally, she raised herself onto her tip toes and watched to see where the hem would fall at the new height. "It's still pink…_but_…I _do_ look pretty sexy in this color. I think I could work with it," she said, then searched for the price tag that was hanging below her left arm. "And it's only the most expensive one I've tried on yet…"

The older girls were suddenly on a mission and it required both of them to turn to Andres with all too innocent smiles and prettily pleading eyes. Quinn had already scoped out the price of the dress. "Papi..." Santana whined out as she cocked her head down.

"What?" he questioned. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Santana scuffed a bare foot back and forth over the thin carpeting of the room and continued to smile. "It's $582.97…is that okay?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Andres slowly slipped his credit card from his wallet as if it was causing him pain. Santana practically licked her lips as she grasped one end of the card when he held it out to her, but he kept his grip as she tried to pull it away. "Don't do anything drastic," he warned, making her yank the card free. "You'll be dipping into your wedding fund if you do and I doubt that your future wife would like that at all."

"Oh my God! Everyone needs to stop trying to marry Rachel and I off, it's trippin' me out!" Santana exclaimed, hiking up the dress to march back into the dressing room.

"Funny," Quinn mused and tapped her forefinger to her chin. "No one even mentioned anything about your future wife being Rachel…"

"My thoughts exactly," Andres added jokingly.

Suddenly, Noelia perked up and felt that she needed to be part of the conversation too. "Santana! Can I come to your wedding!"

"You can do more than come to the wedding…you and Isabel can be the flower girls!"

"Quinn, as soon as I figure out how to get this dress unzipped by myself you're dead!"

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

**New TXT Message**

**Dr. L**

**Sat, May 7 2:22pm**

**How are you girls doing over there? Everything under control? - Dr. L**

"Who the heck is Dr. L? Dr. Love?" Mercedes tested, giggling to herself after reading Rachel's newest text message. Considering that Rachel was currently embodying the word diva in every sense and had made her and Brittany haul around too many dresses to count, she couldn't be blamed for taking Rachel's cell phone from her midget sized jean's pocket to entertain herself. "Are you having some hot hook-ups with Dr. Love behind Santana's back?"

"Give me that!" Rachel demanded as she waddled forward in an enormously puffy light blue dress and repossessed her phone. "It's Santana's dad…L for Lopez, you creep."

Having had her boredom relief taken away, Mercedes stretched out on her back on the bench that she was seated on, placing her feet in Brittany's lap. "Ah, I see…ya'll are just one big happy family now, huh?"

"You look like a cotton ball dipped in blue nail polish remover," Brittany stated while she eyed the very unflattering dress. "Except like…less wet."

Isabel shrugged one shoulder and reached out to touch the smooth material that was falling off of Rachel in waves, examining its texture between her fingertips. "I think you look pretty."

Rachel shook her head a little, trying to form responses for all of the girls but ultimately getting too sidetracked by replying to the text message and the randomness that they were throwing at her. "Um, okay, acetone soaked cotton ball. I'll take that as a negative vote. Thank you, Isabel, I'll take that as a positive," she said, half-listening in favor of the task at hand. "And Mercedes, yes, Dr. Lopez has been doing a wonderful job of rehabilitating himself and we're all closer than ever. It's actually quite nice, it's like having an extended family. Since, you know, neither of my fathers really have many extended family members and I never grew up with any siblings or many friends, for that matter. Although I must admit that Santana is finding it difficult to be parented so much now. She practically has three fathers now that her own has – "

"That's nice, Rachel, real cute and all," Mercedes interrupted in a drab tone that made Rachel sneer a little. Santana would have never interrupted or ignored her, and if she had it surely would have been in a much more welcome way. And as for the sneer, well she couldn't help that some of Santana's bad habits were wearing off on her. "So...are you about done or whatever? Because you've tried on sixteen different dresses, you liked most of them, but you _still _haven't made a decision."

"Just shut your trap for a second, geez! I'm trying to type here!" Rachel finally snapped without even bothering to look up. The outburst seemed to do the trick and she finished sending the message before handing her phone to Isabel, who was much more trustworthy than any of her other companions.

**Everything is great, aside from the fact that I still haven't decided on a dress yet! But, oh well! :D Isabel has been such an angel too! ~ SantanasGoldStar **

After having had her feet shoved aside by Brittany so she could stand, Mercedes hauled herself up from the bench and tapped her hand against her forehead. "I'm confused now," she said. "I feel like I just saw the face of the devil…but it looked like Rachel Berry and sounded like Santana Lopez."

Rachel smiled at that and nodded in agreement, while stooping down a bit to let Isabel pull the end of the laces to untie the bow at her lower back. "You're just mad because Santana has taught me that I don't have to take crap from anyone. Also, you better watch what you say or else I'll tell the "devil,"" she air quoted, "that you're bothering her girlfriend."

Mercedes only waved her hand dismissively and laughed it off. The differences that Santana and Rachel had instilled in each other would always be hilarious to her and there was no better way to show that than through some friendly harassment.

"You got another one, Rachel!" Isabel announced when a beeping tone sounded again.

"Could you read it to me?" Rachel asked as she still struggled to get out of the dress that not even she had liked after seeing it on.

"I'll try!" The cell phone suffered some abuse when Isabel in her haste to read the new text message, tried sliding it open from the wrong side and then consequently dropped it on the floor. "Oops…okay, it says…I…should have…given you Noelia," the little girl sounded out slowly. "B, T, W…why are you Santana's…gold star?"

Biting her lip and putting her balled up fist to her mouth, Mercedes looked to Rachel and wondered how exactly she was going to explain the situation to both a six year old and a parent. Then, she vowed to herself to hang out with the hodgepodge group more often because there had yet to be a dull moment that day.

"Can I type it, Rachel, _pleeease!_"

With a tight smile, Rachel took the cell phone back, saying, "I think I better take this one," and then disappearing into a dressing room.

**Ask Santana what it means. ~ SantanasGoldStar**

Rachel sniggered to herself as she buttoned up her jeans and then put her bra back on. She couldn't wait for Santana's reactions to that one.

"Hey, Rach!"

"Yes, Brittany?" the brunette answered back to the call from outside the door.

"I found a dress I think you'll like…it's just like that orange one you tried on, except it's teal and it's shorter…"

After having poured herself into the new, obscenely short dress that was nothing like the other with Brittany's help, Rachel pressed a hand to her overexposed cleavage and attempted to intake a full breath. "I can hardly breathe," she panted. "It's so tight…"

Brittany – who had already seen everything that was under the dress while helping to put it on – was standing dumbstruck, with mouth hanging open and eyes glued to every curve and dip of Rachel's figure. "You look sohot. You have to get it, Rachel, this is the one!"

"Let us see!" Isabel crowed outside the door before Mercedes opened it, allowing the two to barge inside.

"Holy boobs!" Mercedes shouted, probably drawing more attention than what was necessary from anyone else who happened to be passing by the area. "Rachel, why didn't you tell us you had all of that goin' on!"

Rachel tugged at the hem and tried to get it to move lower, but that only caused more spillage on top. "I don't have anything going on. Just close the door before someone gets an eyeful!" she hissed, still trying to properly cover herself. "I cannot get this dress, my dads would murder me!"

"And Santana would jump you," Mercedes pointed out.

Suddenly, Brittany batted Rachel's hands away and held them behind her back, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror. "You _have_ to get this dress! It's so hot, like so hot that if I put my tongue on you it would get burned like when I drank my hot chocolate too fast this morning."

Struggling forgotten, Rachel mulled over the strange compliment while checking her reflection. She did look good – better than good – but in terms of skin it was just too much and in terms of material it just wasn't enough. "That's very nice of you to say, Brittany, and I'll have to ask that you keep your tongue to yourself, but I just don't know," she said slowly. "Santana is actually kind of protective when it comes to this sort of thing. She might not want everyone else getting a sneak peak at her…goods."

"I think San will like it…I like it," Isabel said, her voice sounding absent and distracted as she reminded the older girls of her presence in the room. With her small hand, she reached out to lay her palm over Rachel's hip and then began sliding it upward, watching intently as it glided over the material. "It's nice."

"Okay, enough of that!" Rachel announced somewhat uneasily and then shook herself away from Brittany just as Isabel's hand was approaching the swell of her breasts. "I'll get it," she finally gave in. If it made Brittany want to perform with her tongue and had Isabel practically molesting her in a dressing room, Rachel could only assume that Santana would appreciate the dress as well. She just hoped that she could manage to keep it on throughout the whole of prom night. But then again, it was awfully short.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

"Noelia! Come get your smoothie, chica!" Santana yelled to her sister as she attempted to balance all of the clear cups in her hands, two of which were yellowish orange and the other two an off putting dark green.

"I don't want that!" Noelia screwed up her face in disgust as she was handed a smoothie that looked like green slime. "I wanted banana!"

"You got banana, just hold onto that for a second before I drop all of this shit," Santana mumbled, hoping that her father hadn't heard her say that. She resituated the other cups in her hands and then passed one into Noelia's free hand and took the slime smoothie back. "There, have your damn banana."

"Who's gonna drink those?" the younger girl demanded to know, still grimacing.

"Rachel and I," Santana explained and then glanced over her shoulder to see Quinn having difficulties trying to carry everyone else's drinks. "This is what I get for trying to be nice," she whispered under her breath. Shoving the other yellow smoothie at Noelia, she said, "Hold this and _do not _drink it. It's for Isabel, got it?"

"But I wanna know why you're gonna drink that green stuff!"

Pausing for a moment, Santana also had to wonder why she was going to drink the spirulina sludge that Rachel loved so much. It wouldn't have been her first choice, but sharing the nasty looking drink with her girlfriend brought back memories of an afternoon they had spent together wandering aimlessly around the mall. It reminded her of when after much goading and taunting Rachel convinced her to try it and she ended up pleasantly surprised. Simply, it reminded her of how much she loved Rachel and everything she did for her.

Taking a deep breath, Santana decompressed some of the stress that she was feeling. "Because I love Rachel and when you love someone you like to share things with them and do things that make them happy, that's why." She gave a small shrug of her shoulders after the explanation, signifying that it wasn't very complex but it was the truth.

Noelia chewed on the end of the straw in her mouth and then smiled around it. "Oh…okay, cool."

While Andres stood waiting for the girls – as he had been doing all afternoon – he scanned through the odd e-mail and the text messages on his Blackberry. Santana was making the day even more expensive by deciding to treat everyone to smoothies courtesy of the credit card she had yet to give back, but he knew that he would have let her do the same thing whether he was present or not. Although he did have to admit that it was kind of nice that his teenage daughter wanted him there for his input.

"Hey, I have a question for you," he said as his eldest daughter approached with her little sister and Quinn.

"What's that?" Santana asked as they began to make their way towards the food court to meet the others. She took a sip of her drink and then held it in her mouth, waiting for some of the ice to melt so it wouldn't cause a brain freeze when she swallowed. It was a logical idea but majorly ill timed.

"Why is Rachel your gold star?"

Suddenly, Santana had spirulina in her sinuses and green spit in the hand that was covering her mouth and nose. Trying not to cause a scene, she turned into Quinn and clamored for the napkins she held. "Ow, this shit burns," she whispered to her friend as she worked to wipe off her face and figure out an explanation to the question.

The blonde only laughed and pushed some more napkins at her. "Yeah, good luck with that one." It was obvious that she wasn't wishing her luck on cleaning up.

"What's the issue?" Andres asked again, slowly beginning to realize that maybe he didn't want to know the answer to the question if it caused a reaction like that.

"Oh, it's nothing." Santana quickly put on a big, fake smile and composed herself as best she could without bursting into laughter and/or blushing like a fool. "It's just um…it means that…that she's going to be a star one day. You know, Broadway…yay!" she eked out in a high voice, feigning excitement and giving a half hearted fist pump.

Andres eyed her skeptically. "I think you're lying…but something tells me that I don't really want to know and that Noelia doesn't really need to hear it," he said, continuing to walk and shake his head simultaneously.

~S~R~S~R~S~R~S~R~

Using a slicing motion across her neck, Santana let Brittany and Mercedes know that if they ruined her sneak attack on her girlfriend she was going to end them. She walked up quietly behind Rachel – not that it really mattered amongst the raucous atmosphere of the food court and Rachel's animated speaking – tipped her chair back and planted a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Santana!" Rachel immediately squealed while giggling and trying to turn her face away from the sloppy kisses.

After placing Rachel's chair fully on the floor again, Santana stood at her full height behind her and draped her arms over her shoulders. "How'd you know it was me?"

Rachel let her head fall back while at the same time Santana bowed hers forward, allowing them to make eye contact. "Because I don't think Brittany and Mercedes would let some stranger assault me."

"Yes, we would," Mercedes deadpanned.

"And I would assault you," Santana said with a pointed look at the other girl, before coming around to Rachel. "Anyway, I found the perfect dress and I got you a smoothie. It's all vegan, just how you like."

"Aw, you're the sweetest! Sit with me," Rachel requested, patting her thigh.

Santana complied and sat down on her girlfriend's lap, but not without rolling her eyes a little and bouncing her head back and forth like a ditz; it still made her feel weird to let everyone see her softer side at times. But that didn't prevent her from pressing her forehead to Rachel's temple and offering her the straw of her smoothie.

Mercedes groaned and then nudged Brittany with an elbow to the ribs. "Come on, let's go take the tots to play in that jungle gym thing. I can't take anymore."

Brittany was out of her seat in an instant, even before Isabel or Noelia could react. "_Yes!_ I've been waiting to go in there all day!" Mercedes could only groan again and trail after them.

Once the other girls had departed, it left Santana and Rachel mostly alone except for the strangers milling about them. Quinn had disappeared into some store during the walk back and Andres was in search of another smoothie for Isabel, thanks to Noelia who had sucked down most of the ones she had been holding despite her older sister's warning.

Rachel smiled up at Santana, ran her fingertips down her cheek and then took a long black box from an equally black bag on the tabletop. "I got you something too," she said, opening the box and revealing the bracelet that had been broken months before.

"I forgot all about this!" Picking it up from the box, Santana held it over her palm where it shimmered with newness under the lighting. "I haven't seen it this clean in a while," she laughed and then looked into dark eyes that were only a shade or two lighter than her own. "Thank you, Rach, you didn't have to do this…"

"You're welcome and it was the least I could do," Rachel shrugged, all the while knowing that getting the bracelet fixed was probably one of the most meaningful things she could have done for her girlfriend.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest," Santana said, repeating the compliment from earlier.

"I suppose I – "

"What's up?" Quinn chose that moment to reappear, but upon seeing the infamously familiar bracelet in Santana's hand she halted and hung back a few paces. She was the entire reason as to why the piece had to have its clasp replaced and on top of that guilt, she now felt bad for interrupting what she thought was a private moment.

"Quinn," Rachel addressed in a friendly tone, while Santana tried fumbling the bracelet back into the box. "Were you able to find a dress as well?"

"Um, no…I don't really think I'm going to prom anyway," the blonde admitted, watching somewhat uncomfortably as Santana put the box back into the bag. Her mouth opened as if to say something else, but by the change of expression on her face it became apparent that she had decided to go in a different direction. "Actually, I was just coming to say bye…I think I'm just going to go…" And with that she was walking off, not even waiting for a reply from either of the girls.

Rachel bit her lip and made a face that revealed her own discomfort with the situation. Had she known that Quinn would happen to see the bracelet and get a blast from their rocky past, she would have waited. "Soo…that wasn't exactly ideal."

"Yeah," Santana agreed. "Awkward…"

* * *

**Okay, so a couple things...first, next chapter is going to be the actual prom and all the fluffiness that goes along with that and maybe some drunk sexytimes as well. ;) Second, I wrote that bit about Rachel's vegan smoothie like six months ago, but now it's just a nice fuck off to Finn Hudson and an example of HOW TO be a good significant other, so that was a bonus. I assume you all know what I'm talking about.**

**And lastly, just for my own entertainment...there's like this tiny, itty bitty connection between this chapter and chapter 6 of my other story, Brutally Honest. For the first person who notices it, I'll write a one-shot about anything you want...angst, fluff, etc. Pairings can be Pezberry, Brittana, or Faberry. Now, hurry up and go find it, I wanna write something new! :) If no one gets it before the next chapter comes out I guess I'll have to give clues. **


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